Luxury car owners resorting to old-fashioned anti-theft measures

Luxury car owners are increasingly worried about falling victim to car crime – and are resorting to old-fashioned security methods to keep the thieves at bay.

Nearly 2 in 5 say they are now using steering locks, bollards, lockable gates and even chains when parking on their own driveway.

1 in 4 admit they worry multiple times a week about their luxury car being stolen.

What’s more, over 3 in 4 luxury car owners are aware they have keyless locking and ignition – something that is making them even more concerned about the risk of theft.

As a result, more than half of them use Faraday cages to store their keys, while a further 21% make sure their car keys are stored a long way from their car.

This is to help avoid the risk of ‘relay theft’, where criminals use tech that tricks the keyless entry system into thinking the key fob is in range.

The research from Direct Line Insurance showed that even keeping a car in a garage does not ease the risk of it being stolen, with 49% of those using one still keeping their keys in a Faraday pouch.

"Car theft in an everyday concern for luxury car owners in modern Britain," says Direct Line head of motor insurance Matt Pernet.

Direct Line says it is clear many drivers don’t wish to rely just on their keyless locking and ignition systems as secure technologies, so are resorting to additional security measures, from Faraday cages to steering wheel locks.

"Additional security measures not only help to further protect your vehicle when away from it, but can also help be a deterrent too," adds Pernet.

The research even showed that two thirds of luxury car owners are resorting to CCTV and installing cameras to watch their expensive motor when it is parked at home.

A quarter of owners use physical devices such as steering locks when parking away from home, too.