WITH lockdown continuing to disrupt people's routines, car security is one of many normal habits that people around the country may have been overlooking.

To address this problem, Keith Hawes, director of North West-based Nationwide Vehicle Contracts and an expert in vehicle security, has outlined his top tips to keeping your car safe during these strange times.

Many of these tips are simple common sense but draw upon Mr Hawes' expertise in the sector and have been laid out specifically in the context of the challenges posed by the pandemic situation and by the recent cold weather.

He said: “With everything going on right now motorists may not be thinking of the security of their cars as a priority.

"But just because the vast majority of us won’t be heading out the house to work, doesn’t mean car thieves will also be staying at home.

"People are finding things tough right now, and the last thing anybody needs on top of other stresses in their car being stolen."

Keith Hawes' Top Tips

Don’t leave your running car unattended

Cold is a catalyst to cars being stolen. During a frost, it’s usual for motorists to leave the car running a few moments to defrost while they nip indoors. You might just be running the engine to keep it from seizing up while it's not regularly being used. This is when opportunist thieves could jump in and drive off, a technique that has been dubbed “frost-jacking”. A theft in this way is also likely to invalidate your car insurance policy as insurers will consider this an at-fault claim.

It sounds obvious, but the way to avoid this from happening is to not leave your car running unattended, even for a minute. Wrap up warm and wait until it is defrosted and safe to drive. To avoid a lengthy wait in the cold make sure you have a can of de-icer handy, or try the hack involving a sealed bag of warm water to speed the defrosting process up.

Where is your vehicle parked?

Your vehicle is likely going to be in the same spot for a long time, making it a familiar sight to passing opportunists. Where your vehicle is parked has a major impact on its chances of being stolen.

The safest place to keep your car is in a private garage, thefts from this location only make up 7% of the total amount, similarly thefts from public and private car parks only make up 10%, compared to 43% of the vehicles being stolen when parked on a street.

Where these ideal parking locations are not possible, try and leave your vehicle in well-lit areas where there will be increased footfall, making it visible and any actions audible to more of the public.

Empty your car of any and all attractive items

Do not leave anything on view in your car, and if possible remove items from vehicles altogether.

This includes loose change, bank cards, Sat Navs and smartphones. Better still, don’t leave any evidence of them – no charging cables or mounting brackets. It may even be a good idea to leave your glove box open, so it’s obvious there’s nothing of worth inside.

A tracking system

While it might not stop thieves from stealing your vehicle, a tracking system, such as a Thatcham approved device, is going to offer an extra layer of security, and make the chances of recovering your car much higher if the worst does happen.

Are the windows of your car etched?

While it might not be common practice, in order to make your car harder to sell if you are unfortunate enough to have it stolen, one option is to have your windows etched with the vehicle's registration or identification number.

It will be more difficult to sell on and, just like a tracking system, it will make it easier for the police to recover if it is stolen.

Traditional protection for your vehicle

They may seem a bit old school, but a simple steering wheel lock or wheel clamp would be enough to discourage some criminals.

A visible deterrent and incredibly tough to remove easily or quickly, these means of automobile protection are still an effective deterrent to potential thieves.

Keyless tech may be convenient but carries extra risks

More and more cars now have forgone traditional keys and almost all new cars instead use the contactless fob keys instead.

This might be convenient but it also carries new risks. Tech-savvy crooks can amplify the fob’s signal, giving them access to your car. This method is quicker- taking some just 10 seconds to enter the vehicle- and draw less attention from members of the public than smashing a window for example.

Don’t be tempted to hang your fob next to your front door, store it securely, as far from the car as possible. Better yet, get into the habit of placing it in a bag designed to block these signals completely- and make sure you do the same for spares!

It is worth noting that using traditional car keys is still a popular method of car theft, particularly if keys are left by an unlocked front door or some will even get the keys by fishing them through the letterbox. Get into the habit of hanging these keys elsewhere as well.

To find out more, go to Nationwide Vehicle Contracts' website at: https://www.nationwidevehiclecontracts.co.uk/.