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Last updated March 6, 2013}

The technology in our cars has never been more advanced. Unfortunately, the thieves targeting our vehicles have changed their tactics too – but, far from reaching Mission: Impossible levels, their technique is worryingly simple.

Just how simple, one Hampshire resident learnt to his horror when thieves stole his BMW from his driveway using the keys – they had broken into the house and stolen the only foolproof means of entry to the car. Fortunately for this motorist, his car was fitted with a Tracker unit, and vehicle and owner were soon reunited.

Gone are the days when criminals could steal a car just by breaking into it: they now face a host of challenges from sophisticated technology. This has led them to find other, more invasive means of making off with a vehicle. The reality is that many thieves now need to break into a home to steal keys, because taking the vehicle without them is no longer an option. In 2010, of the vehicles that Tracker recovered, 83% were stolen with the owner’s keys, which serves to highlight how anti-theft devices alone are not enough to beat the modern car thief.

In the Hampshire BMW case, once the Tracker unit was activated, the silent radio signal led police straight to a small vehicle workshop unit in the Basingstoke area. There they found not only the BMW, but a clutch of other stolen cars. The discovery led to the arrest of two men and helped police to put a stop to a spate of car thefts in the area. The BMW owner’s Tracker unit helped to protect not only him, but plenty of other owners.

This fortunate driver was soon behind the wheel, because Tracker offers owners the very best chance of getting their vehicle back if it is stolen. The statistics speak for themselves. Since its launch in 1993 Tracker has recovered more than 21,100 stolen vehicles, worth a staggering £456m. Each month Tracker helps to recover an average £2m-worth of stolen vehicles. It has also led the police to more than 2,000 car thieves.

Tracker recently announced a partnership with the charity Crimestoppers, to cement its commitment to tackling car crime. Crimestoppers’ director of business development, Rodger Holden, comments, “Crimestoppers is dedicated to reducing crime and therefore Tracker is an ideal partner for the charity. Tracker systems add value in the fight against car crime by helping motorists take proactive steps in protecting themselves from the growing threat of vehicle theft.”

Tracker’s state-of-the-art stolen vehicle recovery system acts like a homing device, incorporating GPS as well as GSM and VHF technology in one unit. The device works on cars of all shapes and sizes, old and new. Police can pinpoint a stolen vehicle wherever it is hidden. Tracker’s award-winning system even thwarts criminals who try to use GPS and GSM jamming technology to block the satellite signal, because VHF is far harder to mask.

With a 20-year track record of reuniting drivers with their cars, Tracker has become the leader in stolen vehicle recovery. Of stolen cars fitted with Tracker, 95%* are returned to their owners and 86% are recovered within 24 hours.

Tracker is constantly looking at new ways to tackle vehicle crime. Its latest innovation, the Tracker Mesh Network, takes this approach to a new level by using any vehicle fitted with its recovery unit to notify the Tracker control room if it passes a vehicle registered as stolen — without alerting either driver. This creates a nationwide VHF-based network of “listening vehicles”, similar to a social network but designed to snare thieves. Since its launch in March 2012 the Tracker Mesh Network has led to the recovery of £4.3m-worth of stolen vehicles.

So, if the worst should happen to your car, you can place your trust in Tracker to get it back.

Call 0845 604 6014 to buy direct or locate your nearest dealer. www.tracker.co.uk

^{TRACKER Network (UK) Limited. All rights reserved. TRACKER and the TRACKER logo are registered trademarks of TRACKER Network (UK) Limited © 2013. TRACKER reserve the right to alter and modify product specifications and pricing without prior notification. *Based on an analysis of cars fitted, stolen and recovered between January 2012 and September 2012.}