Car thieves delight in winter nights

TRACKER, the UK’s leading provider of stolen vehicle recovery systems, is urging motorists to prepare for the dark winter months as figures show a 20 per cent increase in recoveries of stolen vehicles during the winter months compared to the height of summer. The warning comes after TRACKER compared monthly recovery figures between October 2006 and September 2009 revealing November, January and February as the worst months of the year for vehicle thefts.

“Our figures show these extra hours of darkness allow more time for thieves to break into vehicles unseen,” explains Bill Raynal, Managing Director of TRACKER.  "Thieves also appear to take a break at Christmas, just like the rest of us with a 39 per cent decrease between Christmas Eve to New Years Day, compared to the week running up to Christmas.”

TRACKER stolen vehicle recovery systems work like an electronic homing device. A covert transmitter is hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle. There is no visible aerial, so the thief won’t even know it’s there. The tracking device works even if the vehicle is hidden in a container or taken abroad, offering car owners peace of mind should the worst happen.

Bill Raynal concludes, “We urge car owners not to make it easy for thieves, by taking all the right security precautions. It only takes a few minutes to take these extra steps, but could save considerable heartache, not to mention expense, if their car is stolen.”

TRACKER’s Winter Security Advice

Never leave the keys in the ignition, even if you are just stopping quickly

Never leave you car running unattended when de-icing

Always lock and secure your vehicle

Make sure you don’t leave belongings on show, lock them in the boot or take them with you

Fit a stereo with removable front panel and take it with you when you leave the car. Mark it with your vehicle registration

Never leave car documents or spare keys inside the car

Keep doors locked and windows up when driving

Park in busy or well-lit and attended car parks near CCTV cameras

If you have a garage, use it to park your car

Don’t leave the car unattended when waiting for it to defrost

At home, don’t keep keys in a place where they can be seen or accessed from outside