Opening times:
Mon – Fri 8am – 7pm | Sat 10am – 2pm | Sun 10am – 4pm |
Mon – Fri 8am – 7pm | Sat 10am – 2pm | Sun 10am – 4pm |
Call Us:
0800 246 1482
Mon – Fri 8am – 7pm | Sat 10am – 2pm | Sun 10am – 4pm |
Mon – Fri 8am – 7pm | Sat 10am – 2pm | Sun 10am – 4pm |
Key Takeaways:
The move comes amid growing concerns over a surge in ‘keyless’ car crime. Under the law, anyone who is caught importing, manufacturing, adapting or distributing equipment such as signal repeaters and jammers could face up to five years in prison and an unlimited fine.
Banning the equipment follows growing evidence that organised crime gangs are exploiting a vulnerability in modern, keyless cars. The government’s data shows that around 40% of vehicle thefts in England and Wales involve the use of a remote locking device. For car owners in London, the figure rises to 60%.
The BBC reports that criminals can buy high-tech devices for up to £22,000 online which allow them to unlock and drive away keyless vehicles without breaking in. The gadgets pick up the signal from keyless fobs and replicate it, so the car unlocks for a thief to get in and drive it away.
While most of the devices are used for stealing lower value cars, some thieves are using military grade equipment to steal luxury motors and attempt to scramble the car’s tracker signal.
The proposed law forms part of the government’s flagship Crime and Policing Bill, described as a key pillar of the ‘Plan for Change’ agenda.
Dame Diana Johnson, the minister for policing, crime and fire prevention, told us: “These thefts have a devastating effect on victims, who need their vehicles to go about their everyday lives. This is why we are introducing new laws focused on tackling this issue at source, which is what our Safer Streets mission and Plan for Change are all about. These new laws will prevent these devices from getting into the hands of thieves and organised crime groups.”
The RAC head of policy, Simon Williams, said: “With government statistics showing an average of 370 vehicles being stolen every day, outlawing the possession and distribution of signal jammers cannot come soon enough and we welcome the government’s action on this.”
However, the issue of car thieves using relay devices to steal vehicles in the UK is huge. According to the government, in the year ending September 2024, there were 732,000 vehicles stolen in England and Wales. The ability to steal modern cars in seconds using high-priced relay technology has raised alarm among insurers, motorists and investigators alike.
One problem is that many of the tools being used are not illegal, though the use of signal jammers is banned under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006.
Once the new law comes into force, simply having one of the prohibited devices may count as an offence unless the owner can prove they are not using the device for criminal use.
For drivers, the risks from theft are very real since the organised gangs are stealing up to 10 cars every week to pay for the technology. Many of them are targeting prestigious marques parked on drives and stealing them within minutes when using keyless car theft technology.
If you are worried about your vehicle being stolen in a keyless car theft, now is the moment to act.
A Ghost Immobiliser is one of the most effective tools available to stop criminals from driving away with your vehicle, even if they manage to intercept or clone your key signal. That’s because it uses a unique PIN sequence entered through your car’s existing buttons, there’s no fob to steal, no signal to intercept and nothing visible for thieves to target.
The system simply prevents the engine from starting unless the correct sequence is entered and in doing so shuts down the method that organised gangs rely on.
