admin In the UK, car theft is becoming more advanced. Gone are the days when thieves simply broke a window and wired the ignition. They can now clone your key fob outside your house with gadgets, and have your car stolen in less than a minute.
However, here is what most people do not know: cars are highly stolen in driveways as compared to locked garages. It goes without saying, but how many of us store cars in our garages?
The Way Car Thieves Work Nowadays.
Police statistics show that thousands of vehicles are stolen annually out of driveways. Keyless entry systems that are meant to make our lives easier have also made the lives of thieves easier.
They employ relay gadgets to amplify the signal of your key fob (which is likely lying on your hallway table) to your car on the drive. Your car believes that the key is just there, and bang – unlocked. There are organised gangs who can turn off alarms and drive away before you have even seen them.
It’s scary stuff. And the police will tell you: when thieves desire thy car so much, they will get a means. It must be locked behind a garage door.
Why Garages Actually Work
A padlocked garage stands in their path to a number of things:
To start with, thieves must pass through the garage door itself. The doors of the modern world have decent locks that are not easy to break into. Older doors that have an additional lock or two are time-consuming and noisy – thieves despise both.
Second, they must then start the car without being heard even when they get in. Garages are not soundproof, but they do dampen sound. Your neighbour may not hear a car door being closed on the street, but they are likely to hear an engine being started in your garage at 3am.
Third, they must extract the car. That is to open the garage door on the inside, and that is more time, more noise, more danger of being detected.
The majority of thieves will simply go to an easier target.
What If I Don’t Have Space?
I know what you’re thinking. There are things in your garage, bikes, tools, boxes of stuff you can never get rid of, but you do not really need. You’re not alone. It seems that fewer than half of the individuals who have garages park their vehicles there.
But here is a question, what is more valuable? Your car, or the pile of stuff that is accumulating dust in the garage?
Perhaps it would be well to have a clear-out. Sell what you can, bin what you cannot and figure out how to store things so that you still have room in the car. Bike racks on the wall, seasonal storage overhead, good shelving units rather than items stacked on the floor.
Costly Cars and Insurance.
Cheque your insurance policy if you drive something a little special – a new Range Rover or a classic that you have restored. Other insurers require that expensive cars should be locked up in garages at night. Unless yours is, you may not be covered, or you will be paying a higher premium.
Although this may not be a prerequisite, having your car garaged normally earns you a discount on your insurance. When you sum that up in a few years, a new garage door is practically paying itself.
Securing Your Garage.
Have your car already garaged? Good start. But when did you last cheque the door security?
Old locks are easy to pick. When your garage door was last replaced 20 years ago, it is likely that it is not as secure as it should be today. Instal a multi-point lock or a garage defender to ensure additional security.
At the bottom, up-and-over doors may be weak. Anti-lift systems prevent the thieves who can just pick up the door and creep under it. They are inexpensive, efficient and simple to instal.
Roller doors are supposed to have locking bars that are locked at various points. Roller door single-point locks are not so good – a single good yank and they break.
Remote controlled automatic doors are more secure than manual ones. They automatically lock when they close. And with some modern systems, you can cheque whether they are closed with your phone.
Don’t Forget the Side Door
In the majority of garages, there is a side door in case you need to enter without opening the main door. Makes sense. The thing is that they usually have weak locks and no deadbolt.
Thieves know this. They will attempt the side door first as it is not visible and can be forced. Ensure that your side door is well deadlocked and you may want to instal a door bar to enhance security.
Get Some Lights Up
The lights that move over your garage are very effective in scaring away thieves. They are not costly, they do not consume a lot of electricity and they make thieves very uncomfortable.
I have one over my garage that illuminates the entire driveway. It comes on every time a cat passes by at night. Bit irritating at times, but I know that when somebody is lurking around my garage at 2am, they will be as bright as Christmas tree.
Tech Stuff You Can Add
In the past few years, technology has come a long way. You can now get:
Smart garage door controllers that allow you to open and close your door anywhere. Forgotten to close it? Close it from your phone. Want to check if it’s shut? You can do that too.
CCTV facing the garage – does not need to be costly. A simple camera with cloud recording will be sufficient to deter thieves.
Garage alarm systems that are independent of your home alarm. When someone breaks into the garage, you are aware of it.
None of this is necessary, but in case you are driving something valuable or in a place where car theft is high, it may be worth considering.
Your Neighbours Matter Too
The following is a time-honoured piece of advice that has never gone out of fashion: know your neighbours. When all the people in your street watch over one another, the criminals will know about it and will not go there.
One evening my neighbour came to my door and he had spotted someone trying the car door handles down the street. We all went out, the bloke ran, and we phoned the police. That is the type of neighbourhood watch that works.
Is It Worth the Hassle?
Look, I get it. Cleaning the garage, improving security, not forgetting to close the door at night – it takes some effort.
However, losing your car is a huge inconvenience. It is unlikely that the police will discover it. Your insurance will pay in due course but you will lose your no-claims bonus. You will not have a car in weeks as it is sorted. And if it’s a car you love? That’s even worse.
The most effective thing that you can do to prevent theft of your car is to keep it in a locked garage. Better than steering locks, better than wheel clamps, better than any alarm system.
Take Five Minutes
Go and look at your garage. Would you be able to squeeze your car in there with some stuff? Is the door secure? When was the last time you checked the locks?
Your vehicle must have cost you a good amount of money. It is only natural to protect it.