Car insurance companies are now paying out more than £1 million a day after a "worrying" surge in vehicle thefts - especially keyless car crime.
The Association of British Insurers said one new vehicle theft claim is now being made every six minutes, with 56,000 cars reported stolen last year - up 12% increase on 2017.
The ABI said the jump reflects increasing vehicle crime, with Home Office figures showing a 50% rise in vehicle thefts in the past five years.
The cost of vehicle thefts and thefts from vehicles surged by 29% year on year across 2018 to a new record high of £376 million - working out at more than £1 million being paid every day.
Hundreds of the UK’s best-selling cars are 'at risk of keyless theft'
A large part of the rise is so-called "keyless" car theft.
The ABI pointed out that the technology that allows drivers to open and start their cars without removing the key fob from their pocket can also be exploited using a technique called a "relay attack".
Typically operating in pairs, this is when one criminal holds a device to the car, to capture the signal it sends out to the key.
This is then "boosted" to another device near the front wall of a house, which relays the signal to the key inside.
That way the car is tricked into thinking the key is within a range, allowing the doors to be opened and the engine started.
ABI's motor policy adviser, Laurenz Gerger, said: "The resurgence in car crime is worrying.
"The record amounts paid to motorists by their insurers in part reflects the vulnerability of some cars to keyless relay theft.
"Action by motor manufacturers to tackle this hi-tech vulnerability, allied with owners taking some simple, inexpensive precautions will help reverse this unwelcome trend."
Where you're most likely to be hit by an uninsured driver revealed
Staying safe
Here are the ABI's top 3 tips to protecting your car:
- Park your car in a well-lit area.
- Keep car keys well away from external doors or windows.
- Turn off the signal overnight or keep the keys in a signal block pouch.
