Romford named car theft capital based on insurance data

Britain’s car theft capital has been named Romford, in east London, taking the mantle from neighboring Ilford, which had earned the unwanted crown last year.

The locations with the worst record for stolen engines were identified by analyzing the number of motorists per area who reported a vehicle being pinched in the past five years.

Data from 16 million insurance claims in the past year showed that 19.87 drivers per 1,000 in the large London Borough of Havering had made a claim after their car was stolen, more than anywhere else in the country, MoneySuperMarket said.

Romford’s “car theft rate” – based on data collected in the 12 months between September 2020 and September 2021 – was higher than last year’s figure of 19.1 per 1,000 enquiries.

In contrast, Ilford, which was last year’s car theft hotspot, saw a drop of 2.78, dropping it to second in the standings with a theft rate of 17.52 for every 1,000 inquiries made.

Bromley in south-east London took third place with a car theft rate of 17.00, followed by Enfield in north London (16.91) and Birmingham (14.93).

In the safest part of the table, Inverness in northern Scotland reported a car theft rate of just 0.08, followed by another Scottish town, Dumfries and Galloway (0.36) and Llandrindod Wells in Wales (0.47).

When analyzed by region, London is the least safe region for people’s motors, with a car theft rate of 11.55 per 1,000 enquiries.

The West Midlands is next, with 10.94 per 1,000, followed in third place by the North West (7.31).

Northern Ireland was by far the safest region in the UK, with a car theft rate of just 1.87 per 1,000.

The comparison site’s report also found that there is some correlation between a driver’s age and the likelihood of stalling.

Its data shows that car thefts peak for drivers between the ages of 40 and 49 and decline towards old age.

MoneySuperMarket says this suggests that drivers around middle age are most likely to own a car that is desirable and therefore attractive to thieves, while those in their later years may be driving something a little more sensible and less appealing to criminals.

Sara Newell, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, said Romford’s name at the top of the car theft order is likely to affect premiums for motorists in this area.

“One thing insurers consider when calculating your premium is your location, and that can affect the cost of your cover,” she said.

“Car insurance helps minimize the financial impact of theft, so when your policy comes up for renewal, compare prices to make sure you get the best deal for your policy – you could save up to £3,302.”

Five tips to protect your car from thieves

1. If your car has keyless technology, keep your phone away from your vehicle and store it in a Faraday wallet

The latest – and most common – type of vehicle theft at the moment are attacks on keyless cars.

Criminals use cheap technology to detect the signal from your car’s remote control inside your house and then duplicate it to unlock and start the vehicle without raising the alarm.

If your car has keyless entry and keyless start features, you should place your keys or fob as far away from the vehicle as possible and store them in a location that is not close to doors or windows in your property.

Even keeping them upstairs or in a room farthest from your driveway won’t guarantee that a criminal using relay tactics won’t be able to infiltrate the fob.

For the best level of protection, owners of cars with keyless technology should purchase a Faraday bag or wallet.

You can buy these online for as little as £5 (Halfords currently sell one for £4.50).

These isolate the key fob’s signal to block devices commonly used by thieves to detect it to gain access to your vehicle.

Edmund King tells us to test the Faraday bag when you buy it. Do this by putting the keys in the protective wallet and then walk up to the car to check if it is effective. “Sometimes if the bag isn’t completely closed, it won’t work,” he claims.

Metal cans and boxes will also provide similar levels of protection, as will keeping your key fob in a fridge, freezer, microwave or oven – just remember they’re there before turning on the latter two.

Also, don’t forget your spare keys and use the same care as you would your main keys or fob.

2. Invest in extra theft protection for your vehicle

A simple steering wheel lock or wheel clamp may look ugly but is an excellent tool to deter even the most hardened criminals.

They will act as a visual deterrent to thieves who are likely to avoid them.

For a criminal to remove a steering wheel lock, it usually requires using noisy drills or saws to cut through, which is why they are the ideal first line of defense for owners of models that have keyless car technology.

Most steering wheel locks require a key, although Halfords recently launched the first fingerprint-activated lock, costing £60, as part of a bid to reduce the increasing number of keyless thefts.

Drivers should also consider wheel clamps as well as having alarm systems and trackers (read more about these below) installed.

Owners of vans with keyless technology should also consider fitting deadbolts for additional protection, especially if they store expensive tools and items in their commercial vehicles overnight.

3. Be careful when locking the vehicle

It may sound simple but if your vehicle has keyless entry, make sure it’s locked whenever you’re not in it, even if it’s just for a few minutes when you’re paying to park somewhere – thieves can take an unlocked car within seconds.

When it comes to locking, many modern cars have keys with two settings – for single and double locking.

Many drivers don’t realize that on many models, your car will only be single-locked if you press your key fob once.

This means that if you broke the window, you could manually open the car by reaching in and pulling the handle from the inside.

These key fobs require a second press of the lock button to activate all security features. It is important that you read your car’s manual when you first get it and familiarize yourself with how to lock your car securely when you are not in it.

4. Think carefully about where you park overnight

Most often, keyless car thefts take place in the owners’ driveways. While motorists may think that having their vehicle so close to their property ensures its safety, that’s certainly not the case when it comes to key fob theft – quite the opposite, in fact, as it means the car is closer to where those keys are. inside your home.

That’s why owners with off-street parking should consider additional measures.

Driveway parking bollards are an inexpensive but effective way to deter thieves.

Drivers can also go a step further and install lockable gates in their driveway, while simple CCTV systems can provide additional peace of mind.

Luxury cars, which are at greater risk of theft, should be parked in a locked garage where possible.

For those without off street parking who leave their cars on the road outside their home, you are not safe from these criminals either.

Consider parking further away from your property than usual – and try to find a spot under a street lamp so thieves are exposed when they try to steal your car at night.

If you live on a residential street where there are also businesses, park outside one with a CCTV camera installed.

5. Install a tracking device in your car

Installing a tracking system in your vehicle, such as a Thatcham approved device, offers an extra layer of security.

A tracking device does not prevent your vehicle from being stolen, but it greatly increases the chances that the police will recover and return it to you.

Tracker, one of the largest providers of these systems, says it has seen a year-on-year increase in vehicle thefts and recoveries in the first six months of the year.

Vehicles worth over £5m in the first half of 2022 were recovered by Tracker, a 13 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2021.

It offers a variety of devices and packages, ranging from a battery-powered tracker from £249 to a £708 sing-along service that uses “military-grade” technology to pinpoint a vehicle’s location.

Range Rovers and Land Rovers were the most frequently stolen and recovered by the company between January and June, accounting for four of the top models recovered. They also account for 44 percent of all cars recovered by Tracker.

The other make and model to take a place in Tracker’s top five list was the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.