Vehicle theft in the UK surges by 56% in four years

The amount cars stolen in Excellent Britain has risen by 56 per cent more than the room of four decades, new facts from law enforcement forces has uncovered. 

In the 2018/19 fiscal year, 152,541 motor cars have been stolen in Excellent Britain, up from ninety seven,609 in 2014/fifteen, according to figures produced from all but a few of Excellent Britain’s law enforcement forces.

The facts, attained by RAC Insurance underneath the Flexibility of Info Act, fears all styles of motorised motor vehicle, with increasing incidents of moped and bike theft partly driving the increase. The RAC warned drivers, even so, that keyless theft remains a concern, and keys must be stored well absent from doors, and in Faraday pouches. 

Kent Law enforcement observed the most significant maximize in the amount of stolen cars more than the four-year period of time, with 12,550 thefts in 2014/fifteen, and forty,726 in 2018/19. Next was London’s Metropolitan Law enforcement, which observed thefts leap from 9,635 to thirty,773. West Midlands Police’s numbers, meanwhile, jumped from five,677 to ten,372.

Suffolk Law enforcement recorded the most significant share maximize more than the four-year period of time, up 172 per cent, from 347 to 945. Surrey Law enforcement also observed a huge increase, with motor vehicle thefts soaring 133 per cent, from 661, to 1,543.

The only a few law enforcement forces that claimed a reduction in the amount of motor vehicle thefts between 2014-fifteen and 2018-19 have been Lincolnshire, Town of London and Law enforcement Scotland – down by 29, 29 and 473 thefts respectively.

Of the law enforcement forces who responded to the FoI request, 32 also observed motor vehicle theft go up between 2017-eighteen and 2018-19. As soon as once more, Kent Law enforcement observed the most significant increase in conditions of numbers –  up by two,575 – followed by Essex and then West Midlands.

Suffolk Law enforcement also observed the maximum share bounce more than this 1-year period of time, up forty four per cent from 655 to 945. Bedfordshire was next, up 37 per cent, followed by North Wales with 32 per cent.

RAC Insurance spokesperson Simon Williams commented: “While motor vehicle criminal offense is at significantly reduced stages nowadays than it was in the early nineteen nineties – thanks to advancements in motor vehicle stability – and the amount of cars licensed to be driven on the UK’s roads is increased than at any point in the past, it’s nevertheless relating to that so a lot of far more cars are remaining stolen than just a number of decades in the past.”

He added: “Some of the improves in modern decades can be put down to a increase in thefts of cars that are much easier to steal, these types of as motorbikes and mopeds that are less likely to have immobilisers. Federal government facts also shows that thieves commonly use keys to access cars in close to half of crimes, which implies maybe some drivers could do far more to maintain their keys safe. And in an believed fifth of circumstances (eighteen per cent in 2018), thieves have been able to access automobiles for the reason that 1 or far more automobiles weren’t locked in the to start with location.”

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