08/04/2013
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Cobra UK is urging owners of high value cars in the UK to be extra vigilant after 75% of cars fitted with its stolen vehicle tracking system were stolen using the owner's keys.
In 2012 cars worth nearly £4.5m fitted with a Cobra stolen vehicle tracking system were stolen and recovered, with three quarters taken after thieves had stolen car keys from an owner's house, office or from personal items such as handbags or coats.
New and used performance models worth an average £34,482 across a range of marques have been targeted including luxury 4x4s, powerful estates and high performance sports cars. As companies like Cobra have developed more sophisticated key entry systems in association with the major car makers, so thieves are resorting to stealing keys.
This approach also means an undamaged car which is essential as they are stolen to order before being exported to Africa, eastern Europe and the Middle and Far East.
Cobra, the UK's leading safety, security and telematics provider is seeing consumers suffer from car crime, but a growing number of dealer demonstrator cars are also being targeted.
Cobra is urging car dealers to review their demonstrator vehicle loan processes to help curb the rise of keys being stolen by thieves posing as potential customers.
Despite this gloomy news, the average recovery time in 2012 for vehicles fitted with Cobra tracking technology was a mere 57 minutes. So far in 2013 Cobra has managed to cut the average vehicle recovery time down to just 22 minutes.
Andrew Smith, Managing Director of Cobra UK said: "We're proud to have recovered many high value vehicles to their rightful owners but we're keen to educate owners of high value vehicles that thieves are actively targeting their keys to steal a car.
"High value cars are now being stolen to order by professional gangs who can move these vehicles within 48 hours across borders using falsified documentation. Some countries in E astern Europe have processes in place to re-register stolen cars which is just making the situation worse
"Fitting a Cobra tracking system is the difference between keeping your pride and joy or losing it forever as only 41% of unprotected cars are now recovered. Add in the fact your insurance premiums could fall after fitting a tracking system."
CobraTrak products can be installed on new or used cars to provide peace of mind and reduce insurance premiums.
Cobra UK offers two Thatcham accredited vehicle tracking products, CobraTrak Plus and CobraTrak 5, and both are available with a web tracking upgrade including the ability to set a geofence zone around your vehicle and receive an alert should the vehicle exit the zone.
CobraTrak uses the latest GPS/GPRS/GSM technology to locate a vehicle to within ten metres. Cobra's network of 24 hour monitoring centres across 39 European countries, Russia and South Africa commence live tracking when a theft is reported and liaise with police authorities in local language to recover the vehicle quickly and minimise the likelihood of damage.
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