Holiday Season Car Safety (or “How to Not Wreck Your Holidays”)

As the Christmas lights go up and more residents and visitors take to the roads, the festive season brings not just joy — but also elevated vehicle crime risk. For us at Mr Car Keys, this is one of the busiest times of the year, as we get called out to help people who have had their car damaged or stolen. So, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share advice and offer services that protect against opportunistic theft.

Why the Holidays Increase Car Break-In Risk

More Cars, More Movement: Families take long drives, park in unfamiliar spots, or leave vehicles at tourist destinations. If you speak to any lifesaver at our busy beaches, they will tell you about the many upset people who report their keys missing from their bags or towels or their car stolen.

High-Traffic Parking: Events, beach outings, or weekend markets can lead to crowded parking, making it easier for someone to sneak into unlocked cars. Thieves are opportunistic. They often will walk from car to car, looking for those people who have forgot to lock their doors or leave valuables in sight.

Holiday Distraction: In the rush of shopping and celebrations, people may forget basic security: locking doors, hiding valuables, or securing key fobs properly.

Local Crime Snapshot: Newcastle & the Hunter Valley

According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), in the 12 months to March 2025, the Hunter Valley (excluding Newcastle) saw a motor vehicle theft rate of 1,289 per 100,000 in its statistical area.

Meanwhile, over a five-year period (2019–2023), the Newcastle & Lake Macquarie region experienced a 10.1% increase in motor vehicle theft incidents.

According to a crime-tracking site (AU Crime Tracker), in the year ending June 2025, there were 635 motor vehicle thefts in the Newcastle City Council area, averaging roughly 2 incidents per day.

How Thieves Target Cars During the Holidays

Our technicians spent some time thinking (hard to believe) and came up with a what they consider the most common ways they have witnessed cars being stolen or broken into. Below, we have listed our top 3, plus an extra one that is starting to show in our area.

• Smash-and-Grab: Thieves break windows or force doors to grab valuables. This is probably the most common and traditional way that cars are broken into. In most circumstances, thieves are not interested in stealing the car but spot something valuable inside. Don’t leave valuables in plain view. For those of you with kids, please remember to check the back seat to make sure they are putting away their devices etc out of sight.
• Forced Entry: When locks or doors are weak, thieves force their way in. A lot of older cars have locks that have corroded or weakened over time. Before heading off on holidays, it may be worth a chat with one of our technicians at Mr Car Keys to have a quick look at your locks to see if there is any damage. A quick visit can leave you with a greater piece of mind.
• Vehicle Theft: Entire cars are stolen. We work closely with the police and smash repairs after cars have been stolen. It has given us a good insight into the ways thieves are breaking in and stealing cars. Unfortunately, in most circumstances, the reality is that the issues lie with poor key security. We see people who have dropped their keys, wrapped them up in beach towels or shirts when they go for a swim etc. Thieves prey on honest people.
• Keyless Entry Exploits: Vehicles with push-to-start fobs are vulnerable to signal-relay attacks or cloning. This is a new trend emerging with keyless entry cars. One potential solution is to buy a “Faraday pouch”, a device which blocks signals from your keys. This will prevent potential thieves form intercepting signals from your keys.

Please call Mr Car Keys on 0404621621 if there are any problems with your car security over the holidays. We are available 24/7 over the holiday period.