Drivers resort to damaging their cars to deter criminals as two in five vehicles are stolen in the UK
38 per cent of drivers have either had car stolen or know someone who has
PA
Two out of five drivers have had their cars stolen or know someone who has in the past year as thefts in the UK reach an unprecedented level, according to new data.
Nearly 130,000 cars were stolen between April 2023 and March 2024, almost double the number stolen a decade ago at 70,000.
Despite the large rate of thefts, figures showed that only two per cent of the cases resulted in anyone being charged for the crime.
Nearly two-thirds of British drivers (63 per cent) stated that the spike in theft could be attributed to the cost-of-living crisis while 59 per cent of motorists thought it was due to thieves becoming more sophisticated.
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Drivers are being warned to remain vigilant with the rate of car thefts rising GETTYBryn Brooker, head of road safety at Nextbase, said: "This alarming rise in car thefts cannot be solved by police alone, who often don’t even get called until a stolen car has been stripped for parts or shipped abroad.
"At Nextbase, we’re committed to helping drivers and police end this scourge of theft with dash cams.
"They can act as both a deterrent and a crucial early warning system, with footage sent to your phone the moment your car is touched."
Research also found that drivers were changing their buying habits in response to the increased crimes, with 17 per cent put off upgrading their cars, while 16 per cent said they preferred to buy a used car.
Meanwhile one-fifth of drivers warned that their car insurance premiums had gone up due to the increased thefts.
Shockingly, one in 10 British drivers they have woken up in the middle of the night to check on their car, highlighting the anguish that some are dealing with.
Some motorists have also resorted to making their car “less attractive” to avoid it being stolen with 13 per cent having left a scratch or dent visible on their car.
The latest data from the Office for National Statistics found that 129,159 vehicles were stolen between April 2023 and March 2024.
Gus Park, managing director of AA Insurance Services, warned that despite efforts to reduce thefts, “the figures are simply too high”.
He said: "Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that every stolen car increases the cost of claims and pushes premiums up for everyone.”
"A simple way to help reduce the cost of insurance is to target vehicle crime and do everything possible to eliminate vehicle theft.
"While there is no one single thing to completely protect your vehicle, our advice to drivers is to install approved alarms, immobilisers, or steering locks and to never leave valuables on display in the car."
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Drivers are resorting to damaging their own vehicles to prevent thefts
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