One vehicle stolen every 5 minutes during 2024

Richard Aucock, Contributor
Thu, 12 Dec 2024

New figures revealed by a Freedom of Information request show that a vehicle was stolen ever five minutes across England and Wales so far in 2024.

Between January and September 2024, there were 72,888 vehicle thefts, with London alone accounting for more than 20,000 of them.

Outside the capital, the West Midlands recorded the second-highest number of thefts, with more than 11,000 reports to police. Yorkshire and Humber was next, with nearly 8000 thefts.

Despite having a larger population than both the West Midlands and Yorkshire, the North West saw fewer thefts than both, at 7648.

Across the whole of Wales, there were just over 2500 vehicle thefts.

Co-op Insurance obtained the figures, which also drilled down into the towns and cities with the highest number of thefts. In London, it was Croydon, while in the West Midlands, it was Wolverhampton.

"Our findings suggest that vehicle thefts are sadly all too common," says head of motor at Co-op Insurance Paul Evans. "It’s important that drivers take extra precautions to ensure that their cars or vans are secured."

His tips to beat the thieves include:

• Park as close to your house as possible, in line with a large window
• Park close to other vehicles
• Turn your wheels to face other vehicles in a car park, or towards the kerb on the road
• Park under street lamps
• Park next to the window of a café or restaurant
• Remove valuables or tuck them out of sight
• Keep your coat in the boot
• Use steering locks and fit warning stickers

Co-op Insurance figures show that, so far in 2024, the average claim for vehicle theft is more than £7000 – and one customer claimed up to £45,000 for vehicle theft.

Ask HJ

What is the risk of keyless theft away from home?

I am contemplating a Maserati Levante or Alfa Romeo Stelvio. While much is made about cars being stolen with keyless thefts from the home, little is said about thefts away from the home. How necessary is it to prevent keyless thefts away from the home?

The risks of keyless theft when the vehicle is parked outside your home are more straightforward, as the fact that the vehicle parked on a driveway or directly outside a house gives some indication to thieves of the potential key location. However, the risk of theft when outside the home is entirely dependent on the relative risk of the location that the vehicle is parked, which may or may not indicate that the keys will be in close proximity. The same advice would apply to both situations - keep the key as far from the vehicle as possible and in a container that can help prevent the signal being scanned, such as a signal blocker or Faraday pouch.

Answered by David Ross

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