Figures from Direct Line Insurance reveal that one bicycle is stolen every six minutes in the UK and the Association of British Insurers reported that in 2019, motoring claims hit their highest levels in the last seven years.

Sold Secure have a comprehensive testing procedure and there are four different possible classifications for which a product can gain the much coveted Sold Secure Approved quality mark.

So, whether you’re a car or bike owner, knowing that you have good security in place is essential. That’s where Sold Secure come in. Sold Secure is an independent, security product certification agency that holds the industry standard for security product testing.

They work with companies worldwide, testing and assessing security products for their performance against rigorous attack tests. They work closely with the Home Office, Police and insurers providing an accreditation that gives grading against a particular test standard, which shows the security the product provides.

How does it work?

Sold Secure have a comprehensive list of test standards, and within each standard there are various grades that can be achieved.

There are four different possible grades for which a product can gain the much coveted Sold Secure approved quality mark but it is important to note that the grade must be taken in conjunction with the test standard itself. (For example SS101 Motorcycle Gold grading is not the same as SS 104 Bicycle Gold)

What are the different ratings?

You can rest assured that if the product you’re looking at is Sold Secure approved, it offers a high level of security.

Reassurance that your car is safe

As technology is getting more and more sophisticated, so are the criminals’ methods. Diagnostic machines are often used to fool the car in to thinking that the key is present. Punch a few buttons and it’s done! In an anti-theft test performed by What Car? security experts, a range of different makes of keyless cars were being stolen between 10 seconds and 60 seconds. That’s pretty fast!

Crime statistics report that the average car thief doesn’t want to spend longer than 2 and a half minutes trying to gain entry to a vehicle and driving it away. So, when Sold Secure test their products their looking for enough resistance and deterrent for up to five minutes. So, when you’re looking at any of Halfords car security products that bear the Sold Secure approved mark, you can be reassured that they’re going to make it really hard work for the thief, increasing the chance that they’ll walk away.

Halfords have an extensive car security range that takes into consideration the advances in technology. Steering wheel locks are now proving to be very effective. A tech savvy thief might be able to gain entry but a strong wheel lock can stop them from physically moving the car. Many steering wheel locks are now designed to spin on the wheel when it’s attacked so that your car’s steering wheel and column aren’t damaged. Which is helpful.

Check out all the tough stuff in our range of steering wheel locks

Find your bike where you left it

The idea behind securing your bike is all about slowing the thief down and delaying the crime for as long as possible and, whilst nothing is “theft proof” with any luck, you’ll be getting the thieves to move on to an easier target.

As technology changes and cars rely more heavily on electronics for security so have the thieves’ methods become more creative to gain entry to your vehicle. Diagnostic machines are often used to fool the car in to thinking that the key is present. The mind boggles!

Pick up a product with the Sold Secure logo on it and you can be confident that it’s been through a rigorous assessment. Their ‘attack test’ tests the product for a specific amount of time and against a comprehensive list of test standards. A Sold Secure approved product significantly improves the chances that the attempted theft will fail and your bicycle will happily, still be where you left it.

Sold Secure your bike

Any products that have been through the Sold Secure assessment should have their approved logo on their product and packaging. Here at Halfords we’re proud to include these in our bike security range and if you’re looking online, you’ll spot the Sold Secure logo with each product description. You can confirm their Sold Secure approval by checking on www.soldsecure.com.

Check out our bike lock buyers guide that will bring you up to speed or pay us a visit instore and we can talk you through the best options.