Risk Profile: Types of Vehicle

Risk of theft for different types of vehicle

Source: Sallybanks and Brown 'Turning the Corner'

Makes and models

The risk of theft is greatest for:

• older cars (seen by offenders as less secure and where demand for spare parts is highest)

• familiar cars (primarily Fords and Vauxhalls) -

• performance or sporty models

Source: Light et al 1993: Car theft - the offender's perspective

Detailed analysis of the Home Office Car Theft Index shows the risks for specific makes and models http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/cti97.htm

The 1997 survey shows that:

• 38 (or less than 1% of) models accounted for 19% of stolen cars

The 1999 Index http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/cti99.pdf shows that:

• 391,271 cars were calculated to have been stolen in England, Scotland and Wales during 1998 – an average of 1,072 cars per day. 398,741 cars were reported to have been stolen during 1996 – a daily average of 1,092;

• most at risk of theft overall were small saloons (such as the Ford Escort or Vauxhall Astra) with 18 thefts per 1,000 registered. This was closely followed by medium saloons (such as the Ford Mondeo or Vauxhall Cavalier) with 16 thefts per 1,000 registered;

• the type of car least likely to be stolen was the people carrier (such as the Ford Galaxy or Renault Espace) with just 5 thefts per thousand registered;

• the car with the overall highest risk of theft was the Toyota Carina registered before 1984;

• the newer the car, the less likely it was to be stolen – cars registered in 1997 had a theft rate of just 4 per 1,000 registered.

• cars registered in 1985 and 1986 had the highest rate of theft with 27 thefts per thousand

• overall, there were 15 cars stolen per 1,000 registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.