The ongoing recession has seen the sat nav emerge as the latest ‘must have’ items for thieves. With a 5.2% increase in vehicle theft in Northern Ireland from 2008-2009 it is no surprise that the sat nav is in the top three items most commonly stolen from our vehicles.

With an increasing number of drivers investing in a sat nav device for their vehicles - over two million devices were sold in the UK last year – it has become necessary to protect your sat nav from thieves keen to make off with your valuables.

Hughes Insurance, Northern Ireland’s largest independent car insurance broker, has teamed up with the PSNI Crime Prevention Unit to provide advice to NI motorists on how to keep your Sat Nav safe:  

Sat Nav Safety Tips:

• Always park in a secure or well lit location
• Lock all doors and windows, not forgetting the sunroof, when leaving your car 
• Where its portable take your sat nav with you together with the support cradle and suction pads (remember to wipe away any suction pad marks as thieves will look out for these)
• Mark your sat nav with your postcode or registration number using a special security marker 
• Keep a record of the make, model and serial number of your sat nav
• Never leave your sat nav in the glove compartment as thieves check there first 
• Ensure your car insurance policy covers your sat nav – Hughes Insurance covers as standard at no additional cost

Sergeant Nicola Scott, PSNI Crime Prevention Unit, commented: “Thieves are on the lookout for high value gadgets, such as the latest sat nav systems. As well as being relatively easy and quick to remove they are not security coded so are incredibly difficult to trace. Leaving sat navs and other valuable items on display is an open invitation to opportunist criminals. We welcome the Hughes sat nav safety campaign and recommend following the simple safety advice above.”

Gareth Brady, Chief Executive at Hughes Insurance adds: “Insurance is about protection and having the right cover will give drivers the independence and security they need when on the road. We have tailored our package of benefits to suit Northern Ireland and believe nobody else can deliver the cover we offer as standard. With thieves targeting sat navs we are keen to provide advice to drivers to avoid being targeted as well as ensuring they are fully covered.”