Is your vehicle really safe? Why thousands of UK drivers are now fitting tracker?

28/05/2026

A car is stolen somewhere in the UK every day. Traditional alarms and immobilisers are no longer enough against today's criminals. But there is a smarter answer, and W R Davies can now supply and fit it for you.

48.5% 

RISE IN DAILY VEHICLE THIEFTS IN 2025 COMPARED TO 2024

£1.77bn

ANNUAL COST OF VEHICLE CRIME

2 x Keyless cars

MORE LIKELY TO BE STOLEN​

58%

OF VEHICLE THEFTS USE TECH-BASED METHODS

87% of stolen vehicles are never recovered⁽¹⁾

The numbers make difficult reading. According to the latest data, over 121,000 vehicles were stolen across England and Wales in the year ending March 2025, the figure that has climbed 75% since 2015⁽²⁾.

Car theft isn’t just a problem for luxury models. In fact, some of the most commonly stolen vehicles in the UK are everyday, mainstream cars are targeted simply because their parts are in high demand. It’s a trend that’s left many drivers feeling increasingly uneasy, with more people turning to visible deterrents like steering wheel locks to protect their vehicles.

What makes the modern theft problem so difficult to address with conventional security is exactly what makes it so brazen: the criminals are defeating the systems your car manufacturer put in place. Factory-fitted immobilisers, deadlocks, and alarm systems were not designed to counter relay attacks or signal jamming. The protection gap is real, and it is widening.

Tracker: The System that works when others go dark

GPS alone is no longer enough. A handheld jammer, easily and illegally purchased, can block a GPS tracker's signal entirely. Your device goes dark. The tracking app shows nothing. The vehicle vanishes.

That's when tracker coming in as the UK's leading stolen vehicle recovering system.​ Rather than relying on a single technology, Trackers devices use a combination of GPS, GSM, and VHF technology. This is the same frequency used by law enforcement, which is why Tracker is the only civilian tracking system actively operated by all UK police forces.

When a vehicle fitted with Tracker is stolen, the response is immediate. Tracker's 24-hour control room is alerted, your police crime reference number is obtained, and the device is activated, emitting a silent VHF signal that police units, helicopters, and port authorities across the UK are equipped to detect. VHF penetrates metal containers, underground car parks, and any environment that would defeat a GPS signal entirely. It cannot be jammed by the devices criminals carry.​

See how Tracker supports real recovery cases

Now supplied and fitted at W R Davies

W R Davies is now an authorised supplier and fitter of Tracker devices. We offer two solutions designed to cover different vehicles and budgets. Both devices carry Thatcham Category S7 approval, meaning your insurer recognises their presence. In many cases, fitting a Tracker device results in a meaningful reduction in your insurance premium.

When W R Davies fits a Tracker device, it is done properly by trained technicians, in a discreet location specific to your vehicle. We handle the registration and activation with Tracker's monitoring centre, so from the moment the job is complete, your vehicle is protected and enrolled in the system with a peace of mind.

Ready to Protect Your Vehicle?

Whether you want to understand which device is right for you, or you are ready to book your Tracker installation, our team is here to help.

Source:

(1) Cinch.co.uk. (2025). 342,000 cars stolen in four years - the UK’s vehicle theft crisis - cinch. [online] Available at: https://www.cinch.co.uk/news/car-theft-statistics.

(2) Ons.gov.uk. (2025). Yearly breakdown of the total number of vehicles reported as stolen in the UK, 2018 to 2025 - Office for National Statistics. [online] Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/freedomofinformationfoi/yearlybreakdownofthetotalnumberofvehiclesreportedasstolenintheuk2018to2025.

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