The West Midlands has been named one of the least safe areas to own a vehicle, with an average of 12.64 vehicles targeted by criminals per 1,000 residents. The research is by Road Angel UK. Despite some London boroughs having the highest vehicle crime rate, as a whole London has the second highest rate of vehicle crime averaging 11.87 per 1000 residents.
The highest vehicle crime rates for any borough, town or city in the UK can be found in London with Haringey topping the list at 16.48 per thousand closely followed by Enfield at 15.90. Bristol closely follows London as the next most risky county for vehicle owners with a rate of 10.72, ranking third in the UK for vehicle crime. During 2022, England and Wales’s police forces received 368,042 reports of vehicle crime, which includes the theft of a vehicle, theft from a vehicle, or damage to a car. This is an increase from 2021 when there were 319,193 reports, and the experts fear these rates will continue to rise amidst the cost-of-living crisis.
South Yorkshire takes the fourth most dangerous spot, with a vehicle crime rate of 8.52. The only county in the top ten list outside of England is South Glamorgan in Wales, which has a rate of 7.56 per 1000 people. The data reveals that Bedfordshire and Warwickshire rank next, both with crime rates above 7. According to the data, Buckinghamshire, West Yorkshire, and Berkshire are aslo counties in which vehicle owners run a high risk of being victims of crime.
Gary Digva, the founder of Road Angel, said: “The data shows that the West Midlands is a hotspot for criminals praying on vehicles, so those who reside there or plan to visit with their cars, vans or motorbikes should take precautions to keep them safe. Even in the areas deemed safer, vehicle owners should remain vigilant as vehicle offences are on the rise.
As well as a physical deterrent like a steering lock, or CCTV at your property, Ring doorbell etc, dashcams can be useful too. Many now react to motion and so start recording when someone approaches the parked vehicle.
For more information about technology to keep vehicles safe, please visit: https://www.roadangelgroup.com/
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