CRIME
Thieves using new tech to steal cars from driveways in seconds
Car theft has risen in the past year as new tech is blamed for aiding thieves
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Vehicle thefts soared by a quarter in England and Wales last year, the latest figures reveal.
Experts attributed the rise to sophisticated new technology that thieves are using to access and start cars by breaching their internal computer.
The Office for National Statistics recorded 130,389 vehicle thefts last year — an increase of 25 per cent compared with 2021. The figures are also influenced by the third national lockdown from January to March 2021, when crime rates fell.
AA Insurance Services said thieves were using a “variety of hi-tech methods” to steal vehicles. Techniques include “relay thefts”, where thieves use relay boxes — one near the car and another close to the front door of the owner’s home where the fob is usually kept —
