Satellite navigation systems by Jason Dawe

26/09/2006

Several of my friends have had their satnav systems stolen recently. All were the smaller mobile type units that you plug in and stick to the dash, and all had forgotten to remove them when they had parked up. As well as the replacement cost, the damage done by the thieves was huge, with one of my friends requiring a new passenger door – very costly!

Satellite navigation systems are the current must-have car accessory costing hundreds of pounds. Thefts of the units from vehicles have rocketed, and so too have thefts of other small, valuable devices including mobile phones, other GPS equipment, MP3 players and lap top computers. In many cases, vehicle insurance may not cover these devices.

The police contacted one of my friends and asked if he could identify a satnav system they had recovered as possibly belonging to him. Sounds easy? When he got to the station he was confronted with a table of the devices, several of which that looked like his, but he was unable to identify the model stolen from him.

I had a quick web browse to see what he could have done and found some good security from Retainagroup. Probably best known for its marking of vehicle glass and components on behalf of many vehicle manufacturers, Retainagroup also issues unique codes and the 24-hour ISR number. Security marking is a proven theft deterrent and powerfully combats the increasing crime of vehicle cloning. ISR registration can also guard against vehicle keys being illegally obtained by criminals. A Sat nav security marking packs is available for £11.75 – pretty cheap and well worth the cost if you don’t want to get caught out like my friend!

Happy Motoring!

Jason