Insurers Advise Car Owners to Ensure Vehicles are Locked by Remote

Cars remote locking system can be interfered by Electronic gate controller Owners have been warned to double check their remote control systems.

Car owners have been warned to double check that their remote control systems have actually locked their vehicles, after it was officially announced that an electronic gate controller can interfere with the car's remote locking system.

The majority of car manufacturers and gate remotes employ a fixed frequency.

It was shown that should these two remotes be activated simultaneously, they could interfere with one another and the car may not be locked, even if the driver pressed the remote button.

This is especially important for car owners as the majority of car insurance groups won't pay out for property stolen if there was no sign of forced entry.

The Managing Director of Alexander Forbes Insurance, Gari Dombo issued this warning and also said that "other policies only cover property that is locked in the boot."

"There have been a number of cases where people have had the contents of their cars, or even the whole vehicle stolen thanks to unknowingly leaving their cars locked," said Dombo.

Unfortunately, criminals are all too aware of the problem with the two remotes and have taken advantage of the situation many times.

As such, Dombo warns South Africans not to leave their cars until they have actually seen the doors lock.

Also, it goes without saying that items - especially valuable ones - should not be left visible to thieves, making it tempting for them to break into the car.

Other deterrents such a wheel or gear lock could also help keep thieves at bay.