A tracker helps get your car back after it’s stolen. An immobiliser stops it being started without your code. A driveway bollard stops it leaving your drive at all. Only the bollard and the immobiliser prevent a theft; a tracker works after the event. For a car that spends the night on a drive, the strongest set-up is a locked post in front of it, plus an immobiliser for when you’re out. Compare every post in our driveway bollards range.
What each car security device does
Car tracker: helps you get the car back
A tracker is a hidden unit that reports where the car is. With a monitored subscription, a control centre watches for unauthorised movement and works with the police to recover the car. It doesn’t stop anyone taking the car. Tracker says half the vehicles it recovers are found within four hours.
Immobiliser: stops the car being started
Thieves can get round a car’s own security by relaying the key’s signal, or by plugging into the diagnostic port and programming a new key. An aftermarket CAN bus immobiliser, such as the Autowatch Ghost or the Scorpion X-Series, adds a secret sequence you enter on the car’s own buttons. Without it, the car won’t start.
Driveway bollard: stops the car leaving the drive
A driveway security post is a steel post locked into a sleeve set in concrete in front of the car. Raised and locked, it blocks the way out, so the car can’t be driven or towed off the drive even if a thief has unlocked and started it. Thieves can also see it from the road.
Two cheap extra layers
A signal-blocking (Faraday) pouch stops your keyless fob’s signal being picked up from inside the house. See do Faraday pouches work?
A steering wheel lock is visible and slows a thief down. See do steering wheel locks work?
How much each one costs in the UK
Prices below are fitted prices from each company’s website, checked on 5 November 2026.
| Device | Example | Fitted price | Ongoing cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracker | Tracker Locate (Thatcham S7) | £459 | Subscription: £209 for 12 months, or £549 for 36 months |
| Tracker | ScorpionTrack S7 | From £329 | 24/7 monitoring from £139 for one year |
| Immobiliser | Autowatch Ghost-II | About £495 to £549 at the installers we checked | None |
| Immobiliser | Scorpion X-Series | £649 for one car, £1,199 for two (Wentworth Protection) | None |
| Driveway bollard | Telescopic security post | From £799 | None |
| Driveway bollard | Rhino R8 heavy-duty (Sold Secure Gold) | From £949 | None |
| Driveway bollard | Automatic bollard | From £2,999 | None |
Over three years, a monitored tracker costs its fitted price plus three years of subscription. Immobilisers and bollards are one-off costs. For the full breakdown of Ghost prices, see how much a Ghost immobiliser costs.
Tracker vs immobiliser vs bollard: side by side
| Tracker | Immobiliser | Driveway bollard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stops the car being driven off your drive | No | Yes, without your code | Yes |
| Protects the car away from home | Yes | Yes | No |
| Beats relay theft and cloned keys | No, but helps recovery | Yes | Yes, the car still can’t leave |
| Car towed or loaded onto a truck | Helps find it | No | Blocks it being towed off the drive |
| Stops a break-in | No | No | No |
| Visible to thieves | No | No | Yes |
| Changes to the car | Unit fitted in the car | Module fitted in the car | None |
| Subscription | Yes, for monitoring | No | No |
Why prevention matters more than recovery
Most stolen cars don’t come back. In the Crime Survey for England and Wales (year to March 2025), only 26% of stolen vehicles were returned to their owners. And most thefts don’t need the keys: 93% of the vehicles Tracker recovered between January and October 2025 had been taken without them.
Thefts happen where your car sleeps. 67% of car thefts happened at or near the owner’s home, 37% from a driveway or another space on the property, and 75% in the evening or overnight. A tracker can help after one of those nights; a bollard stops it happening on your drive. Full figures are in our UK car theft statistics guide.
The best combination for your situation
Your car sleeps on a driveway
Start with a locked telescopic security post in front of the car and keep keyless fobs in a signal-blocking pouch. If you also park at a station, at work or on the street, add an immobiliser.
You drive a high-value keyless car
Use all three: a heavy-duty post such as the Sold Secure Gold Rhino R8 at home, an immobiliser for everywhere else, and a monitored tracker in case the worst happens.
You park on the street
A bollard isn’t an option without a drive. An immobiliser, a steering wheel lock and a signal-blocking pouch are the main layers, with a tracker for recovery.
You have two cars
A post in front of each car keeps both on the drive. For immobilisers, we fit the Scorpion X-Series on two cars for £1,199.
You rent your home
A bollard is set into the drive, so you’ll need your landlord’s permission first. An immobiliser or tracker goes in the car, so it moves with you.
Every Wentworth bollard is fitted by expert local installers and comes with our Gold Guarantee: if thieves break through it to take your car within 36 months, we refund your installation in full.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a car tracker worth it?
A tracker doesn’t stop a theft, but it helps the police find the car afterwards. That matters because only about one in four stolen vehicles (26%) was returned to its owner in the Crime Survey for England and Wales (year to March 2025). It’s worth most on a high-value car, alongside something that stops the theft in the first place.
Do car trackers need a subscription?
Monitored trackers do. Tracker Locate costs £459 fitted plus £209 for a 12-month subscription. ScorpionTrack’s S7 is from £329 fitted, with 24/7 monitoring from £139 for one year. Without a subscription there’s no one watching the car or working with the police.
Does an immobiliser stop keyless car theft?
A PIN-style immobiliser such as the Ghost or the Scorpion X-Series stops the car being started without your secret sequence, even if thieves unlock it by relaying your key’s signal. It can’t stop a break-in, or the car being towed or loaded onto a truck.
What is the best security device for a car parked on a driveway?
A locked driveway security post in front of the car, because it physically stops the car leaving the drive even after a thief has unlocked and started it. Add a signal-blocking pouch for keyless fobs, and an immobiliser if the car is often parked away from home.
Can I use a tracker, an immobiliser and a bollard together?
Yes, and they cover different moments. The bollard stops the car leaving your drive, the immobiliser stops it being started anywhere else, and the tracker helps get it back if it’s taken anyway.
Sources
Prices were checked on each company’s website on 5 November 2026 and can change.
Tracker Locate price and subscription: Tracker, Locate.
Keys not used in 93% of recoveries, recovery times: Tracker, November 2025.
ScorpionTrack S7 price and subscription: ScorpionTrack, S7 tracker.
Ghost-II prices: TrackerFit, Trackershop, CEN and Car Keys Solutions.
Scorpion X-Series: Scorpion X-Series spec sheet, Wentworth Protection, prices correct at October 2026.
When and where cars are stolen, and how many are returned: ONS, Nature of crime: vehicle-related theft, year ending March 2025.
Car Theft by London Borough and Home Counties District, 2026
How Much Does a Ghost Immobiliser Cost in the UK?