In-car possessions 'more important for thieves'

Posted :02-08-2007

Car thieves are often more interested in the items left in cars rather than in the vehicles themselves, as modern cars become more secure with "sophisticated alarms and immobilisers", according to an industry expert.

Liz Kennett, a spokesperson for the RAC, suggests that the number of incidents in which car thieves get hold of the keys to the vehicle beforehand is growing, with many cars now stolen to order by organised gangs.

"Its not really about the car itself being stolen it's more about things in the car," she explained. "Quite often it's about the prestige cars, where people are stealing them to order, rather than your average family car. It's much harder to steal the actual car itself which is why [thieves] are much more interested in the possessions inside the car."

Areas with postcodes in which car theft is prevalent often have higher premiums than those with low rates of theft, though this is not as common for areas where items tend to be stolen from cars, as people often do not claim for the items unless a window has been smashed.

Factors which drive down car insurance policies include parking in a garage, postcodes, personal accident and injury claims, alarms and immobilisers, and accident levels in the car itself.

The number of uninsured claims reported during 2006 fell by 4.7 per cent compared with the previous year to 36,000, according to data from the Motor Insurers' Bureau. The organisation advises drivers to keep a copy of their car insurance certificate in the car to avoid unnecessary fines.


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