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I have had my current car for four years now…and I am not crazy about it. I understand what it is to have a meaningful relationship with a car. (My most meaningful was with a 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme inherited from my parents, which was driven to a point that would challenge even the most forgiving of safety standards.)
Three cars later, and I have yet to duplicate that kind of affection for an automobile.
My current car has done nothing to me personally, and yet, I will admit to feeling a twinge of relief this week when I read about car theft being easier thanks to a device that replicates the signal from your key fob.
The device, which is being used primarily in Europe, was designed by car engineers to test the vulnerability of automobiles for car manufacturers and anti-theft organizations. The device, which comes in two pieces, first amplifies the signal sent from the key fob once the driver locks the car. This “copying” of the signal can be done from as far as ten feet away from the driver’s key fob. Once the signal passes to the second device, the copied key fob signal is used to “trick” the car into believing that the signal is coming from the driver’s key fob, thus allowing a thief to gain entry into the car and, in some cases, allowing a thief to start the car.
The study, conducted by NIBC (the National Insurance Crime Bureau), found that of the 35 cars tested over the course of two weeks, more than half (19) of the cars were opened with the device and most of that half (18) were started with the device. According to the study, cars that were vulnerable during the test included the 2017 Toyota Camry, 2016 Chevrolet Impala, 2015 Ford Edge, and 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid.
The device also poses another issue for drivers: There aren’t any of the tell-tale signs (broken glass, car alarms) of a car break-in. Most car owners’ first reaction is that their car has been towed, and valuable time is lost in terms of reporting that theft.
To be on the safe side, all of the old rules apply: Keep your keys with you at all times, and don’t leave anything of value in the car that might entice a thief. Also, park your car in a well-lit and well-populated section of a parking lot.
And although there aren’t many reports of this device being used in the United States yet, and with technology being what it is, there will surely be a variation of the device to come, offering a glimmer of hope to those of us not in love with our cars.
Image credit:
ReplaceRemote / CC BY-SA 3.0
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