More than 150,000 motor vehicles were stolen in Great
Britain in the year 2018-19, 10,000 more than the year before and
a 56% (54,932) increase compared to four years earlier, according
to data analysed by RAC
Insurance.*
All but three of the police forces that responded to a Freedom of
Information request recorded an increase in the numbers of
vehicles stolen in their force areas from 2014-15 and 2018-19,
with some stark differences across the country. The largest
increases in terms of vehicle numbers were in the Kent Police (up
12,550 to 40,726 thefts in 2018-19, a 45% increase), Metropolitan
Police (up 9,635 to 30,773 thefts, a 46% increase) and West
Midlands (up 5,677 to 10,372 thefts, a 121% increase) force
areas.
Six forces recorded a more than doubling in the number of
vehicles stolen between 2014-15 and 2018-19, with the biggest
jumps in Suffolk (up 172% from 347 to 945 thefts), Surrey (up
133% from 661 to 1,543 thefts) and the West
Midlands.
Only Lincolnshire, the City of London and Police Scotland
recorded a reduction in thefts over this period however, with
reductions of 28, 29 and 473 thefts respectively.
Year-on-year comparisons (2017-18 to 2018-19)
Most police forces (32) also recorded a rise in
vehicle thefts year-on-year, between 2017-18 and 2018-19. Kent
again saw the largest rise as well as the largest number of
overall vehicles stolen in 2018-19 (up 2,575 to 40,726 thefts, 7%
more than in 2017-18), followed by Essex (up 1,056 to 5,409
thefts, 24% more than in 2017-18) and the West Midlands (up 836
to 10,372 thefts, 9% more than 2017-18).
When looking at the biggest percentage increases over this 12
month period, Suffolk witnessed the highest jump with 44% more
thefts (945 in 2018-19 compared to 655 a year earlier), followed
by Bedfordshire (37% increase, from 1,056 to 1,445 thefts) and
North Wales (32% increase, from 464 to 612 thefts).
RAC Insurance spokesperson Simon Williams
said:
“These figures paint a rather disturbing picture – vehicle thefts
are on the rise almost everywhere, and in some parts of the
country numbers are rocketing. It’s also not the case that the
rises in crime are confined to a few larger urban areas, with
many police forces covering more rural areas also seeing big
increases.
“While vehicle crime is at far lower levels today than it was in
the early 1990s, thanks to improvements in vehicle security, and
the number of vehicles licensed to be driven on the UK’s roads is
higher than at any point in the past,** it’s still concerning
that so many more vehicles are being stolen than just a few years
ago. One crumb of comfort from the data however is that the
increases might be starting to plateau, and it will be
interesting to discover just what effect the coronavirus lockdown
has on vehicle thefts when the data becomes
available.
“Some of the increases in recent years can be put down to a rise
in thefts of vehicles that are easier to steal, such as
motorbikes and mopeds that are less likely to have
immobilisers.*** Government data*** also shows that thieves
generally use keys to access vehicles in around half of crimes,
which suggests perhaps some drivers could do more to keep their
keys safe. And in an estimated fifth of cases (18% in 2018),
thieves were able to access cars because one or more cars weren’t
locked in the first place.****
“Based on these figures, it’s vital drivers take steps to protect
themselves and avoid being an easy target. Three of the biggest
factors that determine whether a car is stolen or not come down
to how it’s secured, where it’s kept and the time of day.
Criminals appear to prefer stealing vehicles at night, with those
parked at owners’ homes, presumably where there is easier access
to a key, also being favoured.
“While organised criminal gangs are responsible for a large
proportion of crime, thieves will also be opportunistic in nature
so the more a driver can do to make their car a less likely
target the better. It’s also critical motorists buy quality motor
insurance policies that will cover them in case the worst
happens. A strong, comprehensive policy can go a long way towards
giving peace of mind in the event a vehicle is
stolen.”
Lessen the chances of your car being
stolen
RAC Insurance offers drivers this
advice:
-
Don’t make your car an easy target. Always
lock your car securely when you leave it, even for a short
time. Ensure all doors, windows and any roof opening (sunroof
or hood) are locked, and keep your keys with you. Consider
buying a steering
wheel lock for
extra (visible) security. This can make it easier for a
would-be thief to pass over your vehicle. It’s also a good idea
to keep the car’s logbook secure at home, rather than in the
car
-
Find the right place to park. Most
vehicle-related theft takes place at night. When away from
home, park in locations that are well-lit and open to public
view – car parks that have security patrols and are covered by
CCTV can be safer, and it’s also a good idea to look for
the ParkMark logo
at car parks that have met that certain security
standards
-
Double-check your car is locked when you
leave it. Make sure you see and hear your car locking before
you leave it – look for the tell-tale flashing indicators and
click of the locks engaging
-
Does your car use a keyless entry/start fob?
Avoid being a ‘relay attack’ victim. Thieves can use a
technique to copy the key signal to another device that’s
placed close to a vehicle. This can fool the car into thinking
the genuine key is present and can mean a thief can drive away
in the car. If you have a keyless car fob, always keep it well
away from doors and windows in your house. Keeping it in a
metal (Faraday) box or signal blocking wallet can stop thieves
copying the signal
-
Consider security when you next change your
vehicle. If you are buying a car on the second-hand market make
sure it has an immobiliser and, ideally, a Thatcham-certified
alarm. You can also use Thatcham
Research’s Consumer Security
Ratings to help
work out how secure certain models
are
-
In winter: Icy morning? Don’t leave your car
while it’s defrosting. The majority of vehicle thefts take
place at vehicle owner’s home.*** Always stay in your vehicle
while the car is warming up and demisting the windscreen – if
you leave it, there’s a risk someone could get behind the wheel
before you do
Ends
Notes to Editors
* Freedom of Information request made to all UK
police forces in November 2019, apart from PSNI. Forces were
asked to provide figures for the number of reported thefts of
motor vehicles. The following forces were unable to respond to
the request: Gloucestershire, Norfolk
** Department for Transport vehicle licensing
statistics, table VEH0105, shows there are 39.4m licensed
vehicles in the UK as of April 2019: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/all-vehicles-veh01
*** Office of National Statistics, Overview of
vehicle-related theft: England and
Wales: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/overviewofvehiclerelatedtheft/2017-07-20
**** CSEW
Nature of crime: vehicle-related
theft: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/natureofcrimevehiclerelatedtheft
