UK Car Theft Statistics That Everyone Should Know

Statistically speaking, if your car is less than five years old, and you have parked it at home, unlocked, and with valuables visible inside, then you are more likely to experience car theft - either someone pinching something from the inside of your car, or taking the car itself.

According to the ONS, four-fifths of car thefts occur when someone’s private vehicle is parked at home. Yet, most private residents would not even think about automatic bollard installation, considering the cost in the UK too high. Despite this, it could prove to be the most cost-effective thing you could do to protect your car and your valuables.

Reasons Why You Should be Searching for Security Bollard Installation Near Me

Here are some more statistics that will probably persuade you why you should be checking the best bollard installation price in your area.

Of those vehicles that have been physically removed, 36 per cent were taken using a remote locking device that had been infiltrated by the thieves, and 24 per cent had been taken using the original key. This is often done because the keys had been left in an accessible place - the most popular place being close to the front door, where the thieves can pick up the keys through the letterbox.

Even more surprisingly, one in seven car owners who have their vehicles stolen forget to lock their doors. While forgetting something so fundamental is something we can all be guilty of at times, in these particular circumstances, it can prove to be an incredibly expensive mistake and cost you both in terms of replacing the car and increasing insurance premiums.

In fact, in one survey about car security, of the 2000 respondents, 77 per cent claimed that they take their car security seriously and always lock the door - which means that a significant 23 per cent must have a far more lenient attitude to the security of their vehicle. Whatever the individual’s inclination, it is the car-owning collective that ultimately reaps the consequences when insurance premiums creep up stealthily as a result of the neglect of the minority.

Additional Security Measures to Bollard Post Installation

As one of the UK’s leading bollard installation companies, we see the pain and retrospective regret that many householders and businesses who are dealing with the fallout from vehicle theft experience. Following this, we’re called in after the event with the intention to stop it from happening again. Car park bollard installation is probably one of the simplest and most cost-effective deterrents to car theft.

However, to stop you from becoming one of the frighteningly high statistics that insurance companies and the ONS put out every year illustrating car theft in the UK (130,521 in England and Wales in 2022/23), we have highlighted some other simple but highly effective ways of improving the security of your vehicle.

Keep Your Car Park Area Well-Lit

Four out of five vehicle-related thefts happen during the hours of darkness. In fact, the figures demonstrate how the number of incidents is actually higher during the shorter winter months, with the highest rates being in October to December and the lowest number in June.

So, if parking on your own driveway, we suggest you install a motion-sensitive light that will expose any illegal attempts to break into and steal your car.

Make Sure Your Alarm Is Working

We have all got quite used to car alarms going off at all times of the day, and you could even say that we are all desensitised to them. However, a potential thief is not going to risk that. Make sure that your alarm is working, has been installed correctly and professionally, and will only go off if there is a genuine attempt at a break-in. Otherwise, it could be a case of the boy who cries wolf!

Clamp It Tight

As well as calling in your local bollard installation contractors, invest in a wheel clamp. Any thief will take one look at the obstacles they would need to overcome to take away your car and walk away. A car park bollard installation combined with a wheel clamp will give you a double layer of deterrent.

Put Your Keys Somewhere Out of Sight

We all do it - walk through the front door and throw our keys on the table by the door. We do it without even thinking. Too often, thieves will creep up to your front door at night and hook those keys through the letterbox.

Get into the habit of putting your keys in a secure drawer away from the front door and any windows. Not only will the thieves be deterred from trying to hook the keys, but they will also be prevented from picking up and replicating any radio signals for the remote locking mechanism.

Prevention Is Better Than Suffering the Consequences

Any preventative method you put in place to protect your vehicle is going to make a difference not only to your insurance premiums but also to your overall peace of mind. To get an idea of the bollard installation cost in the UK, contact Bison for a quote. Whether for a single driveway or for a commercial forecourt, bollard installation is an essential element of your vehicle security measures.