The best steering wheel locks

There’s that joke emerging that if you want a modern anti-theft device, all you need is a car with a manual gearbox. All over our manicured urban jungle, we hear dreary four-pot engines revving with clutches still engaged followed by a chirp of rubber, so there is likely growing truth to that. Mechanical security devices like steering wheel locks make more and more sense.

However, the rise of the digital age has meant the new menace of car thieves using high-tech relay techniques to steal keyless cars is not just looming, but striking with ever-increasing force.

What is a relay attack?

Only keyless cars are subject to a relay attack. This is when a pair of miscreants use devices to relay signals from the car to the car’s remote. One of the rascals stands near the car with their relay device and sends that signal on to the other scoundrel who stands near the house, or wherever the car remote is. They then use their device to pass the signal on again to the remote.

When the remote picks up the signal, it responds and unlocks the car, like it normally would. This, of course, applies to modern vans, too. Like Strictly on the telly, these relay car thefts can be quite painful to watch on YouTube. And if you look them up for yourself, you’ll see they don’t take long.

What to do about it?

It’s a worrying topic, certainly as we simultaneously see spikes in car crime and move closer towards autonomous vehicles. The bureaucrats are making vague mooing noises about legislation, and car manufacturers are coming up with solutions. For example, Ford has introduced a motion-sensing key fob that falls into sleep mode after 40 seconds without movement and therefore will not interact with relay signals.

One of the best ways to fight this is with an RFID key pouch to block the signals. But we also return to the steering wheel lock. It simply provides another hurdle that any potential car thief has to encounter. Luckily, even great quality ones aren’t expensive these days. Who knows, maybe it’ll pay for itself in the potential deduction off your car insurance premium, if not dissuade car thieves entirely.

The best steering wheel locks

Pros:
Sold Secure Automotive Gold
Replacement keys available
Fits almost all steering wheels

Cons:
Arguably the price (but we consider it worthwhile)

Pros:
Good value
RFID pouch included

Cons:
Not highly visible

Pros:
Sold Secure Automotive Gold
Replacement keys available
Better value than Pro Elite

Cons:
Shallower bend than Pro Elite and may not fit over larger airbags

Pros:
Very affordable
Highly visible

Cons:
Others are more heavy duty

RFID Pouches

There is a simple way of blocking relay signals from car thieves. All you need to do is store your key fob in a pouch with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). It’s the same tech that protects your phones, passport, and payWave cards from being scanned and scammed.

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