Expensive cars easy to steal...

wymondham

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-42132804/relay-crime-theft-caught-on-camera

The most shocking bit of this is the advice of police which is to fit a steering wheel lock in addition. How about the manufacturers at least try to make it more difficult in the first place?

If I had a car with this proximity lock I'd take it back to the garage...

Great example of focus group at car manufacturers getting all excited about their great new locking system - nobody being devils advocate and thinking about how easy to bypass.....

MataNui

You can buy pouches to keep the keys in which prevents this. Its easier, more convenient and a !!!! load cheaper than a full steering wheel lock (which still wont prevent them getting into the car). I have even read of people putting the keys in the microwave (which also blocks the signal).

Not sure whats worse really. The fact that some of the most prestige cars on the road are so easy to steal or that the police are so moronic and clearly unaware of the actual issues they are giving outdated and borderline useless advice on how to prevent it.

Johno100

MataNui wrote: »

Not sure whats worse really. The fact that some of the most prestige cars on the road are so easy to steal or that the police are so moronic and clearly unaware of the actual issues they are giving outdated and borderline useless advice on how to prevent it.

A Disklok (or similar) or a wheel clamp are still a good visual deterrent to this type of theft. Not sure why you think they are outdated and close to useless.

MataNui

Johno100 wrote: »

A Disklok (or similar) or a wheel clamp are still a good visual deterrent to this type of theft. Not sure why you think they are outdated and close to useless.

They dont stop entry to the vehicle at all. This is a new relatively high tech crime for which there is an incredibly cheap and 100% solid way of preventing it.

Police clearly dont have a clue about it or rather than say 'go out and buy an expensive steering wheel lock' (that is so inconvenient you would only use it overnight) they could say 'pop onto ebay/amazon and get a £3 key pouch'.

Ganga

MataNui wrote: »

You can buy pouches to keep the keys in which prevents this. Its easier, more convenient and a !!!! load cheaper than a full steering wheel lock (which still wont prevent them getting into the car). I have even read of people putting the keys in the microwave (which also blocks the signal).

Not sure whats worse really. The fact that some of the most prestige cars on the road are so easy to steal or that the police are so moronic and clearly unaware of the actual issues they are giving outdated and borderline useless advice on how to prevent it.

Whats worse is the sc-mbags who steal cars!

wymondham

Ganga wrote: »

Whats worse is the sc-mbags who steal cars!

True, but manufacturers are almost inviting them to do it - so easy!

System

MataNui wrote: »

They dont stop entry to the vehicle at all.

Neither will not having a keyless system. Brick through window, you're in. What a steering wheel lock does is give a visual deterrent that even though they can get in they're not driving it away in a hurry.

EssexExile

wymondham wrote: »

If I had a car with this proximity lock I'd take it back to the garage...

My Dad's car has this type of proximity lock but no one has ever tried to steal his Nissan Micra.

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

A quick Google shows that this has been known about for years, and the kit to do this can cost about £100.

Some manufacturers have a switch so you can disable the key. As soon as you are wrapping up the key in a metal wrapper, or putting steering locks on, 99% of the purpose of the system is gone, so why bother. So glad we didn't pay the £600 Audi wanted to make the car more nickable.

However, when it comes down to it, it seems that the answer is that the whole keyless system is a problem - the risk involved in having something that unlocks your car when you may not want it to should be weighed against the terrible inconvenience of having to press a button on your keyfob.

I tend to think that the manufacturers should be liable if the system can be used while the key is in a safe place, simply not fit for purpose.

Johno100

MataNui wrote: »

They dont stop entry to the vehicle at all. This is a new relatively high tech crime for which there is an incredibly cheap and 100% solid way of preventing it.

Police clearly dont have a clue about it or rather than say 'go out and buy an expensive steering wheel lock' (that is so inconvenient you would only use it overnight) they could say 'pop onto ebay/amazon and get a £3 key pouch'.

Of course it doesn't stop entry to the vehicle, nothing short of armoured glass will, but if these guys set out to steal a vehicle and have a choice of your vehicle with a Disklok or the one down the road without one, which one do you think they'll go for?

Yes, your £3 key pouch will prevent that type of theft. But it won't help if for instance your car is also vulnerable to OBD port theft and they just put a window through and reach in.

verityboo

Looks like the one thief went to the front door (while the other was stood by the car) using the device to grab the signal from the key. Would be interesting to know how close the key was to the front door? The signals from the key aren't that strong