BY Obakeng Maje

There have been alarming reports of vehicle owners who, under the impression of having locked their vehicle with the remote control device, returned and found that goods had been stolen without any sign of forced entry, proving that the vehicle had indeed not been locked. It has now been established that thieves can indeed block, or jam, the locking signals of remote locking devices on vehicles. 

How is this possible? 
Most modern remote controls use rolling-code technology, which means that the code command cannot be copied or cloned. The remote jamming that vehicle owners fall victim to is not the result of cloning or copying of the remote control. Most modern remote controls work with radio waves that use an allocated radio frequency. The use of this specific radio frequency is prescribed by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the regulatory body for the South African communications, broadcasting and postal services sector. Most remote controls, including those for motor vehicles, gate and garage automation; operate on a frequency of 433MHz as issued by ICASA for this purpose. Remote controls operating on the same frequency can influence each other’s messages if they are operated in close proximity, in other words, within each other’s power range. However, to make matters worse, there are “professional” jamming devices available that function on a range of frequencies and that have much higher signal power. These devices can influence a vehicle’s remote control from a much greater distance and can even interfere with remote controls that use different frequencies and technologies. It should be pointed out that these remote control and jamming devices cannot unlock your vehicle. They can only stop your remote control from working properly. 

Does insurance cover these losses? 
Depending on your insurance policy, claims for items stolen without any sign of forced entry into a vehicle will in most cases be rejected. It will definitely be rejected if the cover stipulates forced entry into the vehicle as a condition for a claim to be paid out. 

What is the solution? 
The manufacturers of motor vehicles are constantly trying to improve the security of vehicles. ICASA and other radio frequency controlling bodies worldwide have allocated another frequency band to be used for motor vehicles. Although this will effectively stop the blocking of the signal with a garage or gate remote control device, it will not stop blocking the signal when a similar remote control device is used in close proximity or when a jamming device is used. The following steps to help prevent jamming of remote controls are recommended: 

• The most important rule: Make sure your car is locked before you walk away. Manually check or test the doors and the boot. 
• Always be aware of your surroundings and keep a sharp lookout for suspicious-looking people and activities. 
• Report suspicious-looking people to security or move your car to a safer place. 
• Never leave valuables in your car. 

All vehicle owners must be aware that the remote control of their motor vehicles can be blocked. They should never assume that the vehicle is locked merely because the button had been pressed. It is important to make sure that the vehicle is indeed locked before leaving

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