Public Eye (South Africa)

Sport Utility Vehicles

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can then gain access to the vehicle via the transmitte­r and drive away with it.

Here are some precaution­s to take to prevent vehicle theft and becoming a victim:

1. If your car has keyless entry, spend money on a safe Faraday bag (also called a fob protector) to keep your key fob safe. This bag helps block key fob signals by being lined with multiple layers of metallic material, preventing signal intercepti­on by criminals.

2. To reduce the chance of the key amplificat­ion, place your key fob as far away from the entry point and your vehicle as you can, if the front of your house and your car are easily accessible, such as in highdensit­y or cluster-style living areas.

3. Try to park your keyless car behind a vehicle that requires a key to make sure it cannot be driven away without extra effort if your car is not parked securely behind a secured fence or in a garage while parked at home.

4. You can also turn off the keyless entry feature.

5. Before leaving your parked 6. 7. 8. vehicle, make sure the doors are locked. After locking the doors in vehicles that require a key, always check again by lifting the handle because remote jamming is becoming more and more common among criminals.

When parking, pick a location that is well-lit and, if at all feasible, one that has cameras watching the parking lot and the activity of people walking about your car.

Use a steering wheel lock. Although they are considered ‘old-school’, they can be effective as a visual deterrent. Install an immobilise­r. While many cars have factory fitted immobilise­rs, there is merit in having an additional system installed. As an extra bonus your car insurance premium could possibly be reduced because of the additional deterrent.

Install CCTV to watch over your car when parked in your driveway and add a motion detector light. Both can act as a deterrent and provide additional peace of mind.

10. Consider installing or upgrading your vehicle tracking system to an option offering both theft retrieval and early notificati­on of unauthoris­ed movement, to ensure vehicle recovery protocols can be initiated immediatel­y following a theft. Every minute counts! 9.

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