Protection is bad
We have known for some time that cars with a keyless entry system, which makes it possible to unlock and drive away without picking up the key, are susceptible to theft. The German ADAC comes with an alarming message: improvement in this area would be barely noticeable.
Over time, the ADAC, comparable to ‘our’ ANWB, examined no fewer than six hundred different cars. The theft sensitivity of keyless entry and keyless go, or the ‘keyless’ systems that different brands offer under different names, was examined. Although a lot of attention has been paid to sensitivity for years, security is evident of the tested cars is still not up to standard. ADAC sees improvements in security in only 7 percent of the tested cars, without the organization immediately rating this as ‘sufficient’.
The danger of the now widespread keyless systems is that thieves can pick up the wireless signal from the key. By keeping a kind of signal amplifier near the key and near the car, the car wrongly ‘thinks’ that the key is nearby. In such a case, the car can be opened and started without the key in question actually being there. A car that is running once will continue to run without a key. Thieves can therefore drive until the tank is empty, or even longer if refueling is done with the engine running.
ADAC also points out the danger that insurance companies cannot pay out if there are no visible signs of burglary, which is of course not the case with this form of theft. The organization states that it is advisable not to order or, if possible, disable the keyless entry system. If you don’t want that, it is smart to at least ensure that the car key is not near a door, window or outside wall.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl