Uk car crime spikes by 20% – the biggest increase in a decade

According to the latest crime figures, vehicle thefts in the UK jumped 20% in the biggest crime spike for a decade. Nearly 100,000 vehicles were stolen in the UK last year and 250,000 were broken into. TRACKER, the stolen vehicle recovery expert, highlights the need for motorists to protect their vehicle, as thieves target cars of any age, mileage and brand all over the UK.

Top Cars Targeted

The prestige 4×4, BMW X5, reclaimed its place as the most stolen and recovered vehicle in 2016. BMW, Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz models dominated the 2016 TRACKER Top 10 Most Stolen and Recovered league table.

Andy Barrs, Head of Police Liaison at TRACKER comments, “Thieves continue to target more affordable, yet popular brands, such as Ford, Vauxhall, and VW models, which were stolen in even greater numbers. In fact, 27% of all vehicles recovered by TRACKER in 2016 were valued at less than £5,000, including a VW Golf worth £400.”

Top Regions Targeted

London continues to top the list of regions where cars were most stolen and recovered. Essex comes in second, whilst Greater Manchester moves down to seventh place. There have been some interesting shifts in regional theft and recovery activity with South Yorkshire entering the TRACKER league at 9^th place. West Yorkshire jumps up the table to 5^th place, joining Kent. Surrey, like London, remains static at 6^th place.”

“London is the theft and recovery hot spot for the fifth year running, proving that the Capital is a major draw for criminals,” explains Andy Barrs.

It’s not just prestige or nearly new

Whilst the most expensive car recovered by TRACKER in 2016 was a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG worth £120,000, the reality is that less than 1% of stolen vehicles TRACKER recovers are worth between £75,000-£120,000.

Andy Barrs concludes, “If people think their car isn’t worth enough for thieves to steal it, think again. 3 out of 4 stolen cars we recovered were worth less than £20,000. Overall though, our research shows that it doesn’t matter where you live or what you drive as car thieves will target anything they can move on to make a profit. With vehicle theft increasing so rapidly the message for all motorists is to protect their car from thieves or as we say at TRACKER – if you love it, track it!

“Although a TRACKER device won’t prevent a vehicle from being stolen, it’s clear from our figures that they do increase the chances of it being recovered and returned by the police. We continue to work closely with all UK police forces, helping to close the net on the criminals.”

Unlike other devices, TRACKER’s unique technology can locate stolen vehicles anywhere, even when they are hidden in a garage or shipping container. TRACKER has been reuniting car lovers with their vehicles for over 20 years, and it’s this expertise which makes TRACKER the leader in stolen vehicle recovery. TRACKER stolen vehicle recovery systems work like an electronic homing device. A covert transmitter is hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle. There is no visible aerial, so the thief won’t even know it’s there.