Car thefts hit all-time high in WORST year on record with new tech to blame… your motor could be at risk
DRIVERS have been warned over sinister new tech as car thefts hit an all-time high, with 2023 the worst year on record.
Insurance experts at LV General urged motorists to be on the lookout for crooks and take plenty of precautions.
According to LV’s analysis, thefts are expected to have risen by around 28% compared to 2022, which itself had seen a 59% increase.
This makes the past year the worst ever recorded.
The spike is believed to be partially fuelled by the availability of new gadgets which can beat your motor’s security systems.
One device, which anyone can pick up online, allows criminals to trick the car into thinking it has been opened by a key fob by tampering with the wiring behind the headlamp, which can be accessed through the front bumper.
As the weather turns cold and the nights get darker, thieves are provided with more cover to use similar sneaky methods so the figures are not expected to tail off this winter.
And there was a warning for owners of certain models over a particular risk of theft.
LV’s figures from the past three years indicate a 513% rise in claims for stolen Lexus vehicles, with Toyota and Hyundai seeing spikes of 103% and 81% respectively.
Within those figures, the RX and NX models make up 54% of Lexus-related claims, while the Rav 4 accounts for 47% of Toyotas stolen.
The insurer suggests that this is due to both the high resale value of such cars and the prices of spare parts like catalytic converters and even steering wheels.
Martin Milliner, Claims Director at LV= General Insurance, said: “We’re certainly seeing an increase in car thefts and high-value spare parts…that organised gangs of thieves find very lucrative.
“This is being fuelled by the high-tech nature and cost of these components and a general shortage of car parts because of global supply chain disruption
“The technology of keyless cars continues to improve as more cars are produced but unfortunately it doesn’t take long for thieves to work out a way to steal them and advance their own tactics, such as signals to unlock cars via a feed into sensors behind headlights.”
It comes after it emerged that police were failing to solve three out of every four car thefts, with some seeing over 80% of reports remaining unresolved.
Meanwhile, a new map revealed the UK’s worst theft hotspots so you can check if you are in a danger area.