10 Feb 2007
(source: the RAC)
Soaring value of in-car contents encouraging
opportunist theft
Motorists warned about thieves "smashing
and grabbing" side windscreens to bag car booty
RAC
Auto Windscreens is warning motorists about
rocketing theft from cars, with a 23% rise in the number of smashed
side windows reported last year due to opportunistic thieves grabbing
expensive gadgets left in clear view in unattended cars.
Research carried out by RAC Auto Windscreens* reveals that despite a
car theft taking place every 22 seconds, over 40% of motorists
regularly leave valuables on show when their cars are unattended,
making rich pickings for thieves who are increasingly smashing side
windows to bag booty. A further quarter of motorists admit to
leaving gadgets on show and unattended for more than 10 minutes at a
time.
Only 3% of motorists secure valuables in an in-car safe and just 13%
put precious possessions in the boot. This means that 84% of
motorists would not be covered by their standard insurance policy if
they were victims of a "smash and grab" theft.
The research also revealed that one in 10 cars has contents worth more
than £1,000 - that's over twice the value of electrical goods in
the average British bedroom (£399). This includes:
- A quarter of cars having satellite navigation
technology
- A fifth transporting a laptop
- One in eight containing iPods and portable DVD
players
- Three quarters of motorists having a mobile phone in
the car.
Reformed
burglar and presenter of BBC2's To Catch a
Thief programme, Michael Fraser, explains: "Leaving desirable
goods such as iPods, phones and satellite navigation systems on display
puts temptation in the path of opportunist thieves who will simply
smash and grab the goods on show. Throwing a coat over expensive
belongings or hiding things under the seat is not a deterrent for a
determined thief. It only takes a few seconds for a thief to smash
a side windscreen and make off with goods, so people are getting caught
short when they leave goods unattended even for only a few minutes."
Spokesperson Adam Cracknell comments: "Today's cars are treasure troves
packed with the latest technology and gadgets making them a target for
theft. Not surprisingly, our call centres have received a surge of
calls reporting thefts since Christmas and the new year sales. We are
urging all UK motorists to take better care of their valuables by
putting them in an in-car safe or locking them in the boot. The problem
is that motorists are not only enticing thieves to their cars by
leaving valuables on display, but they also stand to miss out on being
able to make an insurance claim if they have not secured their
valuables."
RAC
Auto Windscreens top tips to prevent theft:
- Invest in an in-car safe to keep valuables in
- Choose your parking spot wisely - consider parking in
car parks with security guards and / or CCTV. Some policies offer
reduced premiums if you regularly park in such locations
- Make a list of all your valuables, calculate how much
they are worth and check that your insurance cover is sufficient
- Get windscreen chips fixed immediately - don't open
the window of opportunity for thieves
- Sat navs are an easy reach from side window smashes
and often contain personal data which could lead the thief to your home
- keep them out of sight when not in use.
8 Feb 2007
(source: the Endsleigh)
Endsleigh Study Reveals Car theft down by a third
New
figures
published today by Endsleigh Insurance in December 2006, show that
claims
for car theft across the UK have fallen by 31%
over the past three years. The figures were
revealed in Endsleigh’s latest report ‘Motor Cities 2006’, which
identifies the UK’s
top ten safest and riskiest towns and cities for motorists.
The results were collected by analysing theft
claims across the UK over the last three years from the hundreds of
thousands of people
that Endsleigh insures. Endsleigh’s report backs up the perception that
car
crime is falling across the UK as a whole. Endsleigh has
compared the frequency of claims in different UK towns and cities to
the Endsleigh
national average. This means that the report shows the risk of an
actual incident
occurring rather than just the total number of incidents that have
occurred.
The top three towns and cities for car theft are:
•
Riskiest for car theft: Hull,
Bradford, Leeds
•
Safest for car theft: Norwich,
Solihull, Swindon
Tim Larden, Endsleigh’s spokesperson said:
“The
overall national picture on car theft is good news for drivers and
there is no doubt that improved
car security has significantly contributed to this drop in theft.
However there are
still simple precautions that individuals can take to avoid becoming
the victim
of car theft. A significant
amount of car crime is opportunistic and so when leaving their vehicle,
motorists should
always close all the windows, remove easy-to-steal items and never
leave valuables
such as satellite navigation systems, laptops and handbags on display. “
“The signs are that
local activity undertaken to address car theft is also contributing
towards this
welcome fall. Even amongst the highest risk cities the signs are that
car
theft is down.”
The report also names the UK’s top ten towns and cities for Motor
accidents. The top three for risk
of accidents are):
•
Riskiest for accidents: Bradford,
Ilford, Inner London
•
Lowest risk for accidents: Belfast,
Swansea, Cambridge
Tim Larden added:
"Crucially,
there are a large number of positive initiatives that local councils
and
police services are
implementing to address road safety. Congestion charging, drinkdriving
campaigns and speed
cameras, as well as a whole host of other traffic calming and
speed-cutting
measures should play a part in bringing accident numbers down.”
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