Revealed: Vehicle Offences Per Mile By UK City & Region

Using available ONS data, new research from the temporary car insurance experts at Tempcover has revealed the areas in England and Wales with the highest rate of vehicle offences per vehicle miles for the year 2023-24. It’s no surprise to learn that parts of London have the greatest rate of offences per mile, which of course means that London based drivers tend to pay the highest car insurance premiums in the UK.

Here is a snapshot of the data;

The 10 areas with the highest vehicle crime rates per vehicle:

*Vehicle offences include: aggravated vehicle theft, theft from a vehicle, unlawful taking or theft of a motor vehicle, and vehicle interference (such as breaking into or vandalising a vehicle).

Haringey, Camden, and Islington are ranked as having the highest vehicle crime rates in London.

Haringey has the highest vehicle crime rate, with 12.60 offences per million vehicle miles. For the year 2023-24 a total of 4,008 total vehicle offences were recorded.

Camden follows closely with a vehicle crime rate of 11.25 offences per million vehicle miles. Over 3,079 vehicle offences were recorded between the year 2023-24.

Islington ranks third, with 9.98 offences per million vehicle miles. For the year 2023-24, there were 2,251 vehicle offences recorded in the area.

The data shows that 23 local authorities with the highest vehicle crime rates are boroughs of London, which may be due to urban density, high traffic, and population size – factors that increase opportunities for vehicle crime. In contrast, rural areas in Wales experience fewer vehicle crimes, which could be due to lower population density, less traffic, and reduced anonymity, making opportunistic offences less likely.

Claire Wills-Mckissick temporary car insurance expert at Tempcover, commented:

“Both drivers and local authorities have an important role to play in reducing vehicle crime. Drivers can minimise the risk of theft by parking in secure locations, using anti-theft devices, and staying vigilant. If the unexpected happens and your car is stolen, temporary car insurance is one option that can help by allowing you to borrow a car from friends or family, easing the pressure during what is likely to be a stressful time.

Local authorities can make a difference by increasing police presence, improving CCTV surveillance, and raising public awareness. Together, these efforts can help reduce vehicle crime.”

You can find the data research in full here.

DRAMATIC INCREASES

Some towns or parts of cities have seen dramatic increases in vehicle offences, such as Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, where reported vehicle crimes were 177, up from 99 just three years previously. Part of the reason for that is the spike in drug usage and competition between rival gangs for control of the heroin market in the town. Local Police also recorded an increase in offences involving people carrying weapons since 2021, another sign of drug turf wars. For a small town Barrow has a high unemployment rate and few well paid jobs beyond BAE Systems.

High rates of alcohol and drug consumption lead to all types of crimes, some of which are simple vehicle vandalism, such as pushing an expensive motorcycle over in the street. 

Other motorcycle thefts can often be off-road machines, not registered for road use, which are very useful for the late night delivery of drugs, cigarettes and alcohol.

Barrow is likely to remain a high risk town for vehicle insurers for the foreseeable future.