Sitting in the affordable price bracket, this steering lock from British motoring mainstay Halfords, is designed to work with the majority of steering wheels, especially those modern variants with airbags, where a typical through-bar might not fit. Price when reviewed: £33 | Check price at Halfords of keys: 3 Alarm fitted? Yes Weight: 1.58kgħ. Key specs – Size: 8cm Materials: Alloy steel No. Its compact design also means it’s easy for any driver to handle, fix and remove swiftly. This audiovisual experience is sure to disturb even the most focused would-be thief. This award-winning device is equipped with a 120dB alarm, warning beeps (a bit like the pips of your house alarm system to give you time to enter the passcode) and a light signal. It has an unusual top-wheel positioning, where the padded barrier bar lies flat on the dash (while avoiding scratches) to prevent movement without removal. Price when reviewed: £78 | Check price at AmazonĮuropean outfit Artago has created this highly visible steering wheel lock. Artago 870 Premium Anti-Theft Car Steering Wheel Lock: Best steering wheel lock with a noisy alarm The best steering wheel locks you can buy in 2023 1.

What’s more, by immobilising the brake pedal and the steering wheel, would-be thieves have to put in a lot more effort if they want to nick your motor. Both are more manageable weight-wise and stow more easily.

In which case, consider doubling up with a steering wheel lock and a brake lock. At almost 5kg, if the device is too unwieldy to manage, you could be discouraged from using it. The most secure full-cover steering wheel lock is not only the most expensive by a long way, it’s also the heaviest. While some of the bar-style steering wheel locks are more manageable and easiest to stow away, they don’t necessarily offer the greatest security. Picking a steering wheel lock really comes down to budget and the driver’s own brute strength. However, having one fitted, if it hasn’t deterred an attempt to steal your car, will undoubtedly slow criminals down, which means more time to detect their delinquency. In short, yes, wheel locks can be broken. If the thief can’t remove the lock itself – either by drilling or by using bolt cutters – they can simply cut the portion of the steering wheel that is in the way of taking the lock off. The locks on them aren’t the most sophisticated. Thieves can try to drive away with one locked onto the wheel, but they’ll struggle to manoeuvre the car smoothly and any antics to avoid the metal rod travelling in the driver’s seat area will look pretty shifty. Steering wheel locks are made from metal and plastic and, when used correctly, they are placed across the steering wheel and extended to the point that they create a barrier preventing the wheel from being moved freely. READ NEXT: Best dashcams Can thieves break wheel locks? Once you’ve made your purchase, call your insurer and see if they’ll offer any kickback. They may be a basic piece of security kit, but not only do steering wheel locks act as a very visible deterrent, but an accredited steering wheel lock may also entitle you to additional discounts on your insurance. Halfords reported back in 2019 that sales of steering wheel locks had doubled in a single year that figure shows no signs of abating as more car owners are resorting to ever-more analogue measures to protect against would-be thieves. With remote functionality in cars increasing all the time, enabled from mobile companion apps, it’s well worth considering investing in a steering wheel lock – particularly if your insurer has already indicated that the area in which you park your car is at higher risk of such crime. The car mistakenly believes the genuine keyholder has unlocked the car and the thieves can make a clean getaway, in something that is known as a relay attack. The frequency sent from your key fob to your immobiliser and car alarm can be mimicked by computer software if the thief is standing next to the vehicle with a laptop and a third-party gadget. That said, it isn’t just luxury cars that are targeted the humble Ford Fiesta also made it into the top 10.Īnd the reason for this uptick in car theft? Keyless entry technology.

In fact, according to the statistics from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), approximately one in every hundred Land Rovers was reported stolen in the year ending March 2023. And in 2023, the car that topped the “most stolen” charts in the UK was the very desirable Land Rover Range Rover. Anecdotally, the line nowadays tends to be “motors are stolen to order”.

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