A new study has revealed where in the UK vehicles are most likely to be stolen. Car theft remains a big problem for the public and the police, with 112,174 cars stolen in 2017/18 alone.

Keyless car theft has become a particular problem.

 

5.9 million car insurance quotes - between May 2018 and May 2019 - were analysed by MoneySuperMarket with a view to pinpointing car theft hotspots.

 

Two London boroughs came out top - Ilford and Romford saw theft rates per-1,000 of 16.1 and 15.4 respectively. There were also high theft rates in Birmingham and Liverpool.

 

The safest place to own a car is in Kirkwall, Orkney, where there were only 0.3 thefts per 1,000 quotes.

 

A number of other safer locations were also in rural Scottish areas, including the Outer Hebrides (0.5) and Inverness (0.6).

 

The age bracket most likely to suffer a theft was the 40-49 age group (6.16), while the least likely to see their car stolen was the 17-19 year old age group (1.53).

 

It has been suggested that older drivers possess more desirable cars, potentially a key reason why they suffer a greater number of thefts.

 

Top tips for keeping your vehicle safe:

 

●     Park off the road

●     Always use your garage if you have one

●     Park in a well-lit area if you don’t have a garage

●     Don't leave valuables on display

●     Keyless theft: keep key fobs away from doors and windows, minimising the chances of them being stolen

●     Keyless theft: some keys can have their signal turned off when not in use - check your user manual for more details

 

No claims bonus

 

In order to avoid a large payout for a theft it is also advisable to protect your no-claims bonus.