Protecting your vehicle this winter

Your car is often a safe space, with your own home comforts added to suit each owner, but opportunistic criminals often see them as easy pickings.

Below are some of the measures that you can take to make your car less likely to be targeted by thieves:

Spare keys – Do you know where your spare key-fobs are? When not in use, and if you have a keyless car, consider removing the battery from the spare keys so that there are fewer examples of the same key frequency available for the keyless car thieves to capture.

Location of keys when not in use – The more central the keys are placed within a home environment, the better. Whilst it may be practical, do not leave your car keys close to the front door.

CCTV – Do you have CCTV covering your property and vehicles? This can be a great deterrent to potential criminals, as well as giving you peace of mind.

Consult your vehicle’s manufacturer – Customers are encouraged to speak to their vehicle’s manufacturer about preventative advice as there may be functions or settings which you may not yet be aware of.

Don’t leave valuables inside – When a vehicle is stolen, whatever is left inside is also stolen too. Remember to not leave anything valuable on show within the car.

Garages – Storing your car or vehicle inside a garage, if you have one, will not only hide it from view but will also act as a further barrier. This is the same for bollards or driveway gates. All can be effective in offering a physical barrier against opportunistic criminals.

Signal suppression pouch – For keyless car owners, a practical way of managing the signal sent out by the car’s key fob is by placing it inside a suppression pouch or box. You can purchase a signal blocking bag from Hull based charity Neighbourhood Network here Signal Blocking Bag | Neighbourhood Network Hull (nnetwork.org.uk)

Vehicle tracking – Does your car have a tracking device fitted? This increases the chances of the car being recovered greatly and can often also result in lower insurance costs.

If you notice anything suspicious in your local area, report this to the police straight away on the non-emergency number 101.

If you see a crime in progress, call 999.