NEARLY A THIRD OF DRIVERS WOULD CHALLENGE SOMEONE TRYING TO STEAL THEIR CAR

A recent survey has found that nearly a third (31%) of drivers would challenge a thief trying to steal their car (men 41% and women 22%), rising to 35% of over 55s, compared to 26% of under 54s. More than one in ten (11%) would also like to take drastic action to protect their car, e.g., putting an electric shock device on the car door to stop thieves (men 14% and women 8%). The Opinium survey of 2,000 UK drivers by InsuretheGap found that over one in seven (16%) are more worried about car theft than they used to be, with nearly a fifth (18%) worrying about criminal gangs targeting cars. Nearly a fifth (17%) are concerned about buying a car that is attractive to thieves. One in six (18%) check on their car regularly when at home and one in ten (11%) have CCTV or a video doorbell to monitor their car, rising to a fifth (20%) of under 34s. Nearly one in ten drivers (9%) say car theft is a big problem in their area and 8% use a wheel lock or a gear clamp to stop thieves. However, a fifth of drivers (19%) admit to leaving their car unlocked by accident; a home goal for car thieves. Only 10% never worry about their car being stolen, and this is because they say their car is an old banger. Ben Wooltorton from InsuretheGap.com said: “According to the Home Office a car is stolen in the UK every five minutes and it's the popular Ford Fiesta that's the most frequently stolen. Prestige cars aren't far behind, with the Range Rover taking the second spot on most stolen car in the UK. Unfortunately, thieves are able to make extraordinary quick work of getting into cars with keyless entry technology, which is probably why we're seeing more parked cars with old style deterrents like wheel and gear locks to deter thieves.”