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    4 effective ways to protect your vehicle from car thieves

    bollard security

    Car thefts in the UK are on the rise. Official statistics say that around 112,000 were stolen in England and Wales in 2017-18, up by almost 50% on the 75,408 taken in 2013-14. Thefts from cars themselves were also steadily rising, with 280,032 reported to police compared to 276,366 incidents recorded around 5 years ago. It’s not great news by any means, and understandably it’s got a lot of car owners worried. So, how can you protect your vehicle when it’s parked on your driveway at home? Well, while a solid set of bollards (such as our lift-out bollards) or our parking bollards are one hugely reliable method, there are a couple of other useful ones, too.

    1. Keep everything out of sight

    Unfortunately, there are certain people out there who will think nothing of doing a bit of ‘window shopping’ as they pass by your car. Don’t give them the opportunity – you can reduce the risk of break-ins by keeping everything of value out of sight. This includes CD wallets, bulky bags and especially in-car technology like Sat-Navs or dashcams. If you can avoid it, it’s best to hide away all containers, even if they’re empty. After all, the thieves won’t necessarily know they’re empty until they’ve already broken in, and by that time the point is arguably moot. Remember, not all thieves are out to steal your car – but they might be tempted by the items inside it.

    2. Keep your driveway as well-lit as you can

    You may have heard us touch on this point before in previous posts – but that’s because it’s still good advice! This doesn’t necessarily have to mean leaving a bright light shining on your vehicle all night; a motion-activated sensor will do the trick just fine. Most thieves are opportunists, which means the vast majority will abandon any budding criminal endeavour at the prospect of being lit up like a Christmas tree as they attempt it.

    bollard-sec-under-as-they-attempt-it

    3. Use additional visual deterrents

    Another advantage of thieves being opportunists is that they are easily put off by similar visual deterrents. That doesn’t necessarily have to mean clamping your car (although some people can and do opt for doing this), but steering wheel locks are becoming an increasingly common way of securing vehicles. They’re sturdy, deliberately obvious and do a fantastic job of deterring thieves. Fitting alarms, immobilisers and trackers are equally useful devices to securing your car. Keyless theft is also on the rise, and we’ve talked before about how you can keep your keys in a Faraday bag to block the wireless signals, preventing thieves from hijacking them to unlock your car.

    4. Install driveway bollards

    Speaking of additional security measures, installing driveway bollards are by far the most effective one. Your car is one of the most expensive purchases you’ll ever make, but driveway bollards like lift-out or telescopic options require only minimal investment to give you long-term security benefits. They’re a fantastic visual deterrent, and they present an imposing obstacle for thieves to overcome if they want to get your car out of the driveway. When it comes to security measures to protect your car, you can’t get more reliable than a solid set of driveway bollards.

    We’ve got a huge range of these for you to choose from right here at Bollard Security, with a range of bollard types and colours to best suit your property. If you’re already considering installing a set of bollards or parking posts, you might like to know that we recently published a post about how to properly choose the best ones. Alternatively, our experts are always happy to advise – just give us a call on 01535 509001, and we’ll be happy to see how we can help!