Car thefts rocketed yet again in 2023, official figures have revealed.
According to DVLA stats, a whopping 64,087 cars were reported stolen last year.
That’s an increase of almost 5% compared to 2022, and equates to a vehicle being nabbed approximately every eight minutes.
Where is your car most likely to be stolen?
Your risk of car theft can vary greatly depending on where you park your vehicle.
With this in mind, Howden Insurance has analysed car crime data from the past year to determine the riskiest areas for motorists.
At the top of the tables, West Yorkshire is the most unsafe place to park your car, with a rate of 5.35 thefts per 1,000 registered vehicles.
In contrast, the 10th riskiest location of Hertfordshire has an incidence of 0.86 per 1,000 registered cars.
|
Ranking |
County |
Number of thefts |
Theft per 1,000 registered vehicles |
|
1 |
West Yorkshire |
1,594 |
5.35 |
|
2 |
Nottinghamshire |
2,700 |
4.65 |
|
3 |
Kent |
4,489 |
2.8 |
|
4 |
Merseyside |
3,240 |
2.75 |
|
5 |
Surrey |
3,174 |
2.57 |
|
6 |
Lancashire |
3,876 |
2.3 |
|
7 |
Hampshire |
5,915 |
1.88 |
|
8 |
Leicestershire |
3,421 |
1.85 |
|
9 |
Essex |
6,880 |
1.5 |
|
10 |
Hertfordshire |
3,422 |
0.86 |
This is important as your location will play a part in calculating your car insurance premium.
To put it bluntly, if you live in an area with a higher-than-average number of car thefts, your insurance is going to cost you more as the provider will view you as more likely to make a claim.
It’s a similar story with where you keep your car overnight. If it’s kept in a locked garage, it’s obviously going to be less accessible to thieves than if it’s parked on the street.
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The most stolen cars
Unsurprisingly, the type of car you drive can also put you at an increased risk from this type of crime.
Below are the most pinched cars, according to figures from the DVLA.
|
Car |
Total stolen |
Change from 2022 |
|
Ford Fiesta |
5,976 |
Down 0.1% |
|
Ford Focus |
2,120 |
Down 3% |
|
VW Golf |
2,038 |
Up 0.1% |
|
Mercedes Benz C-Class |
1,786 |
Up 29.6% |
|
Range Rover Sport |
1,631 |
Down 28.6% |
|
Range Rover Evoque |
1,489 |
Down 2.8% |
|
BMW 3 Series |
1,466 |
Down 0.8% |
|
Vauxhall Corsa |
1,110 |
Down 13.3% |
|
Vauxhall Astra |
1,086 |
Down 12.4% |
|
Land Rover Discovery Sport |
954 |
Up 15.2% |
As the Fiesta has long been one of the most coveted cars for drivers, whether it’s new or used models, it isn’t the biggest shock that it is the most stolen car.
On the plus side, the numbers being nicked have actually dropped slightly.
However, other motors have seen quite stunning increases in the numbers being stolen.
The Mercedes Benz C-Class has soared by almost a third, for example.
The DVLA figures follow data from last year from LV=, based on its own claims data, dating back to September 2021.
It found that these were the brands that have seen the most significant increases in thefts:
- Lexus ‒ up 513%
- Toyota ‒ up 103%
- Hyundai ‒ up 81%
- Kia ‒ up 76%
Specific models are clearly coming under greater focus from crooks, too.
The Tucson, for example, accounts for 45% of thefts of Hyundai cars, while the Sportage makes up the same proportion of KIA thefts.
Meanwhile, the RX (54%) and NX (21%) dominate the most commonly stolen Lexus thefts.
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Will I get my stolen car back?
Having your car taken is, of course, a complete nightmare. But once you report it to the police, do you have any chance of getting it back?
Analysis from Rivervale Leasing, which went through the figures dating back to 2010 from the Office for National Statistics, found that on average just two in five stolen cars are handed back to the owners.
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The cars most likely to be vandalised
Some cars are more likely to suffer criminal damage, rather than outright theft.
Back in 2018, insurer Churchill crunched the numbers of its own claims data to find the cars that most often suffer from vandals.
- Smart car
- Mini
- Alfa Romeo
- BMW
- Mazda
- Peugeot
- Saab
- Fiat
- Mercedes
- Citroën
The most common form of vandalism was cosmetic damage, accounting for 15% of all claims, followed by 12% of claims, which related to damage to the front bumper.
The proportion of claims reporting front door damage was also 12%.
Protecting yourself from car crime
There is far more you can do to keep your car safe than simply parking it in a garage though.
If you would like to learn more, check out our article on how to beat hi-tech car thieves.
By following these tips, you can reduce your risk of being among the thousands of motorists each year who have to report a stolen or vandalised car to the police.
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