REPORT Keyless crimes make up 58 per cent of all car thefts

Urgent Government action needed as keyless car thefts continue to soar

- Tom Jervis

KEYLESS thefts now account for nearly two-thirds of all cars stolen, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) raising more questions regarding the technology's security.

The CSEW data shows that between March 2023 and '24, 58 per cent of car thefts were committed by criminals illegally accessing cars by replicating and/or manipulating the signals from a vehicle's keyfob.

This follows recent Metropolitan Police data that estimated 40 per cent of car thefts are performed this way, rising to 60 per cent in London, where newer cars with keyless access features are more common.