Vehicle
crime is one of the largest single type of
crime being committed to date - one of the reasons why
the government has set a target of a 30% reduction by the year 2003.
Is your car at risk?
Theft
of motor vehicles and theft from parked vehicles is one of the highest
crimes nationally. Local vehicle crime follows the national findings
(source: British Crime Survey 2001) :-
•
The risk of becoming the victim of vehicle related theft is lower
in rural areas (7.9%) compared to non-rural areas (12.6%).
•
Three quarters of incidents took place during the evening or at
night, with 37% occurring between midnight and 6am.
•
The main locations for the offences were in the street by their
home. 17% occurred in public car parks. (BCS 2000)
•
The most commonly stolen items from vehicles were car parts (37%)
and car radios (24%) but an increase in the number of tools, mobile
phones and laptop computers reflect the increased availability of
these items.
Due
to motor manufacturers adding security features to vehicles at the
design stage the number of vehicles stolen has steadily declined
over the last few years. The majority of stolen vehicles fall into
the 4-7 year old group. Theft of property from
vehicles continues to represent the bulk of autocrime committed
in the UK.
New Car Security Rating
The
insurance industry, working with the Motor Insurance Repair Research
Centre at Thatcham, have now produced a rating system which indicates
how well a particular model will resist being broken into and
stolen. It gives a star rating on a scale of 1-5 for two criterior,
resistance to being stolen and having items stolen from it.
It
is hoped that this will enable motorists to assess a vehicles
security rating when considering a purchase and also further encourage
manufacturers to work towards improving their models rating. Access
to the listing is available via the Vehicle Security National
Helpline on 0870 5502006 or via http://www.ncsr.co.uk/
Also
take a look at the Car Theft Index
on the left.
Window etching - a simple deterrent.
Have the vehicle registration number etched into
all your windows, especially the front and rear screens...its
not unusual to have those windows removed from a parked vehicle,
they'll nearly always pass yours by and look elsewhere.
I say nearly always as an unsuccessful attempt by a thief in the
Reading area was slowly rebuilding his car from stolen parts,
which included an etched windscreen! Naturally when he gave the
excuse that he'd got it from a car boot sale he wasn't believed!
Article courtesy of http://www.communitysafetyuk.com/index.htm
|
KEEP
property OUT of sight!
The
most important message in reducing a theft from a vehicle is to
keep all property out of sight put
it in the boot or in the case of an item like a laptop, take it
with you.
Most vehicles attacked are parked in a pub or hotel car park for
a relatively short time or in railway station car parks where the
offenders know the owners are not likely to return for some time.
In Motorway Service areas arrested offenders have told police how
they have watched for businessmen placing their laptops in the boot.
The majority of vehicles attacked had a laptop, mobile phone or
briefcase left on the seat or footwell. It sounds a simple message
but it still needs spreading....please pass on this warning, particularly
among business colleagues.
If
you have a modern radio with detachable facia, remove it if the
car is left out in a vulnerable parking area.
do not put it in the dashboard that is the first place
the offender will look. Never leave vehicle documents, cheque
or credit cards in the dashboard either.
Locks
and Alarms...
If
you have an alarm system, preferably with an engine immobiliser,
Don't forget to set it! and Lock your car! I won't say anything
more on such an obvious point...but you will be surprised how
many drivers don't!
Make sure you bring to the attention of any would be thief
that the vehicle is alarmed, most have deterrent flashing
neon lights or a window sticker. Think of it logically, if the
thief looks at your car, can't see anything to attract him (car
thieves are nearly exclusively male!), is alerted to the
fact it is alarmed, would it be worth the risk? It would be easier
to look at the next car and so on until he comes across one where
he can see whats inside, it becomes more worthwhile for him and
very quickly either the window is smashed or a door forced open
by a screwdriver, or similar, directly into the lock, or into
the skin just below it. It is highly effective and a well used
technique.
If
you haven't got an alarm on your vehicle you
should get one fitted, particularly if you have
to regularly park in the street, they are not too expensive for
a basic model. Anything less would be a compromise in favour of
the offender. Bear in mind the one which requires a voltage drop
to trigger it, ie door being opened and interior light comes on,
will not stop the 'smash & grab' offender
who reaches through the broken window. Aim for one which detects
movement within the vehicle. Your vehicle being parked on your
driveway is as much a target as one on the street. On occasions
owners asleep in a bedroom above the driveway, with the window
open, had not heard an attack on their car.
Locking
nuts are a relatively small price to pay to secure
valuable wheels, especially expensive alloy models. Cars can often
be stolen, driven to a remote area just to take the wheels. You
can guarantee the car will be left on its hubs causing further
damage on recovery!
Locking petrol caps are cheap and
effective, and with the high cost of UK fuel this is a growing
occurrence!
|
