The number of car thefts and robberies rose to a record £ 376 m ( $ 492 m ) in 2018 , a 20 % YoY increase , driven by a surge in so - called relay attacks involving keyless vehicles , according to the Association of British engineers ( ABI ) . Relay attacks use devices to boost the signal sent from a car to a key , fooling the vehicle into unlocking and starting . ABI said the attacks led to £ 1 m in daily traffic . Automotive research group Thatcham Research said six out of 10 new cars with keyless vehicles had no security to prevent relay attacks .
The cost of car thefts and robberies rose to a record £376m ($492m) in 2018, a 29% YoY increase, driven by a rise in so-called relay attacks involving keyless vehicles, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Relay attacks use devices to boost the signal sent from a car to a key, fooling the vehicle into unlocking and starting. ABI said the practice led to £1m in daily payouts. Automotive safety group Thatcham Research said six out of 10 new cars with keyless systems had no security to prevent relay attacks.