 A satellite navigation device: �3.5m worth were stolen last year |
Do you have a sat-nav in your car? The devices which help motorists get from a to b. They have become an essential accessory for many drivers, especially those whose are on the road because of their jobs. Many sat-navs are portable and can be fitted to any car and can cost hundreds of pounds, but how safe is it from thieves? Apparently, sat-navs are now being stolen at an alarming rate, and in some counties, thefts are being used to fund drug addictions. Nicola Beckford has been using the Freedom of Information Act to look at this story, watch her report for Breakfast from the link to the right of this page Our sat-nav FOI findings A report supplied by the Metropolitan Police after a request by Breakfast under the FOI says: �3.5m worth of sat-navs were stolen last year. It says that sat-nav thefts will soon overtake car stereos as the most common type of theft from vehicles Protect yourself The police suggest the following security tips: Close the windows and lock the doors even if you're leaving your car for a short period of time Remove all signs of having a sat-nav from your vehicle, including the bracket or suction pad that fits on the windscreen You should even wipe the marks off the wind screen because that's what a thief is looking for. Take your sat-nav with you, don't leave it in your glove compartment - it's the first place a thief will look. And if you cant take it with you, lock it in the boot. We're looking for more stories to investigate using the Freedom of Information Act Remember, we can only request information from public bodies, and there are some other limitations If you've got any suggestions we'd like to hear from you
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