We recently started a series of blogs looking at the top ten car crime hotspots in the UK. If you missed them, you can take a look at the ones we did for Leicester and Slough. Those were based on figures released in 2021, but in the meantime, the latest statistics including those for the first half of 2022 have been released.
If you live in Leicester or Slough, there’s good news….. and bad. Leicester has dropped from #1 to #7 and Slough has disappeared from the Top 10 entirely. Sadly, these lists still exist because car crime is still virulent in the UK and for those of you living in South London, specifically Croydon, it’s time to take a serious look at your vehicle security.
In a survey released by insurance giant Direct Line using their wealth of national claim data, they have identified Croydon as the number one in UK’s car crime hotspot chart. The list doesn’t just include thefts of vehicles, but also vehicle crime as a proportion of all crime reported and vehicle crime per 1000 people to give an overall outlook of the nation as a whole.
BIG CITY. BIG PROBLEM.
It’s probably no great surprise that the areas of London would feature highly in any list like this. Croydon in the south of the city, which topped the list, recorded over 6005 car crimes in one year, that’s over 16 car crimes reported every single day for a year! When you look at the big picture, even taking London as a whole, there are 113 car crimes for every 10,000 people.
Nearly 10% of all crimes recorded in the capital involved a vehicle. In other words, it recorded more than 321,000 crimes over the past three years, or 293 every single day!
CAR THIEVES BECOME MORE BRAZEN
With this explosion in car theft, you might be thinking that you only need to look at how to secure your vehicle at night, but you’d be wrong. This, and many other pieces of research, all point to the fact that thieves are becoming more brazen in their attempt to steal your vehicle.
If you analyse the data, you’d see that most vehicles are targeted whilst parked outside their owner’s home. That could be on the road outside or even on a private driveway. They accounted for 27% and 39% respectively. Back in 2009/10, car crimes committed during the day only accounted for 19% of those crimes. A decade or so later on, it’s now over 35%, but there is something you can do to fight back.
Many Police chiefs warn that thieves are exploiting keyless entry systems, especially as that technology becomes more common in our cars, bikes and motorhomes.
DON’T BECOME A VICTIM OF CAR CRIME.
For all the doom and gloom these studies might illustrate, there are things you can do to protect yourself. Some of the most effective solutions to keep your vehicle safe are things that don’t cost you anything. Keeping your vehicle secured behind a locked garage door or gate, stored / parked in a well-lit area, particularly at night, will go a long way to helping keep it safe.
In an effort to counter-act the threat from keyless entry theft there are also some simple measures you can take. Store your keys away from your front door and, if possible, keep them in a Faraday case (or bag) to prevent the signal from being duplicated when not in use.
If you’re wanting to take your levels of security to the next level, then a car tracker is exactly what you need. Here at Infiniti, we have a huge range of vehicle trackers that suit everyone, regardless of where you live, what vehicle you drive or what price point you’re looking at.
We stock a huge range of S5 and S7 trackers from all the leading manufacturers like SmarTrack, ScorpionTrack, MetaTrak and Tracker.
By buying from Infiniti Tracking you get:
⚬ An incredible system installed at your convenience, anywhere in the UK.
⚬ A dedicated team of experts to help you choose the right system for your requirements.
⚬ Peace of mind to know your pride and joy will be protected should the worst happen.
Whether you live in Croydon, Greater London or anywhere else in the UK, we have a solution that will help keep your car secure. Our huge range of car trackers has something for everyone and all are available to be installed anywhere in the UK. Just give our team a call from Monday to Friday (9am-6pm) on 0330 043 3993 and we’ll get you booked in. Don’t wait until you’re a victim of car crime before taking action!
Car theft has been a blight on the UK for decades, but according to a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA in Swansea, the LE2 postcode in Leicester had the highest number of car thefts in the UK in 2021. In that one postcode alone, the Police recording 342 thefts of vehicles, almost one per day over the course of a year.
If you live in or around Leicester, or elsewhere in the UK, then there’s never been a better time to protect your vehicle with a car tracker from the team here at Infiniti. Whether you’ve got a top-of-range luxury car or a family car you all rely on, car security has become not only a necessity but something you can get regardless of your budget.
HOW ARE VEHICLES TARGETED?
The type of cars stolen aren’t just the higher-end models you would normally associate with car theft. The models taken by thieves are spread throughout the vehicular spectrum, but it’s interesting to note that the vehicles in the target differ.
Luxury cars like BMW, Range Rover, Jaguar and Porsche attract thieves who steal to order. This means that gangs specifically target certain types of cars that have been ordered by their customers, often with the car thieves travelling from one area to the next to accomplish their shopping list. Sometimes these lists can get very specific, often looking at limited edition models, design, colour or even specifications. Luxury cars aren’t the only temptations.
Many of the cars stolen come from some of the most popular manufacturers like Ford, VW and Vauxhall. These warriors of the road cars are often at the heart of family life and play a key part in getting the kids to school, the work commute and general day-to-day activities. These make up the majority of the vehicles stolen, with the Ford Fiesta, VW Golf and the Corsa from Vauxhall taking up the top three slots on Leicester’s most-stolen cars, so how do you protect yourself?
HOW TO PREVENT YOUR CAR FROM BEING STOLEN
One of the most effective and increasingly-common ways to avoid your car being stolen is with a vehicle tracking system. These amazing systems not only act as a deterrent to thieves, but they also massively increase the chance of recovering your vehicle quickly and safely should the worst happen.
We have a fantastic range of both S5 and S7 trackers to suit any car and any budget, no matter where you live. All of them offer a wealth of features and most come with a free smartphone app that puts the power of the system right in the palm of your hand. These systems are also backed up by a 24/7 control centre offering you complete peace of mind to know your vehicle is secured at home, at the office or even in LE2!
THE BIGGEST NAMES IN CAR SECURITY
Here at Infiniti, we pride ourselves on providing the highest level of customer service and can come to you anywhere in the UK at a time that’s convenient to you. We sell trackers from all the best car security manufacturers including Tracker, TrackStar, MetaTrak and Vodafone Automotive. Whether you want an S7 or the higher specification of the S5, you’re sure to find one that suits you and your circumstance.
⚬ UK-wide fitting by qualified, professional installers.
⚬ A range of trackers to suit any car, budget or location.
⚬ Easily transfer your tracker from one car to another.
To find out more about any of the products in our range, please give our team a call on 0330 043 3993 any time between 9 am and 6 pm, Monday to Friday, and we’ll help you find the best tracker for you and arrange the best time to come and install your new tracking, whether at home or work; whatever’s the most convenient to you. You don’t have to live in Leicester to be a victim of car crime!
