Volvo, in collaboration with Vodafone Automotive, is providing their UK-based customers with the option of a new tracking device to combat car crime. Despite modern advances in technology, car crime has been on the rise, and there were still over 89,400 thefts in England and Wales in 2020/21.

The majority of car thefts are thanks to modern keyless entry systems. Although the convenience of such systems is preferred by many new car owners, it opens up vulnerabilities as car thieves have been able to relay the signals from keyless entry keys, cloning their “signature” and using it on a separate device to drive the vehicle away. Earlier this year three car thieves were arrested in the UK after stealing five Mitsubishi Outlanders with a device disguised as a Nintendo Game Boy.

Read: Thieves Are Now Using Apple AirTags To Track And Steal High-End Vehicles

Volvo’s solution is a simple one: the system will recognize a small card carried by the driver. If that card isn’t with the driver, but the car is being driven, Vodafone Automotive is notified immediately. An operator will then contact local police services and can give a minute-by-minute account of the car’s location. It can also pinpoint the car’s whereabouts to within 10 meters of the car’s location, with 24/7 monitoring across the UK and most of Europe. It can also be deactivated if the car is away from the owner, at a garage for example.

Earlier this year seven members of a gang were convicted of stealing more than 50 keyless thefts involving vehicles totaling £2.4 million ($3.3 million) in the UK. The tracking device offered from Volvo is very much focused on the recovery of vehicles, but other automakers have been working on methods of preventing thefts in the first place. For instance, Dodge implemented a href=”https://www.carscoops.com/2021/03/dodge-upping-security-on-chargers-and-challengers-following-string-of-thefts/”>“double verification” system following a spate of thefts of Chargers and Challengers.

The tracking device is priced at £595 (roughly $787) including fitting, VAT, and a three-year subscription to the stolen vehicle recovery service.