New data has revealed that vehicle theft in Europe is at an all-time high, and the UK faces one of the biggest problems, lying third in the European league table for vehicle theft and with many fleet managers failing to employ sufficient security measures.
A recent report issued by Statista.com found that there were 130,521 vehicle thefts in England and Wales during a 12-month period of 2022/23, and figures from Europe suggest that only one in four vehicle owners will see their vehicle again. This has alerted fleet managers to revisit their security methods, bearing in mind the cost of replacing vehicles and consequential insurance costs (a particular issue with Range Rover theft, where some insurers are quoting premiums of up to £20,000), along with the cost of lost data. Fleet managers are investing much more time and money in tracking vehicles and monitoring mileage, efficiency and fuel data, and this is all rendered meaningless if a vehicle is stolen and never returned.
According to Statista.com 23% of all fleet owners have no security measures in place, while 45% of small fleets have no security measures. Given the rise in technology-based vehicle theft, often from a private driveway overnight and often involving keyless entry, this is a concern with great urgency for the fleet manager, particularly given the high dependency a business has on small fleets.
UK in third place in European car theft league
The UK is in third place in Europe for vehicle theft, with 64,000 vehicles stolen in the UK in 2023, a 5% increase on 2022. The UK is rivalled by Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Sweden, Eastern Germany and Turkey for high car theft, and in England and Wales there were between 150-300 car thefts per 100,000 population in 2018, with Scotland having between 75-150 per 100,000 population. The most popular areas for vehicle theft in England were Greater London, the West Midlands and Yorkshire.
Amazingly, 44% of car thefts can be attributed to a vehicle being left unlocked, according to Neighbourhood Watch, but apart from the obvious, other security measures a fleet manager could start to implement include:
- Improved lighting – not parking a car in dark areas where it is easy for thieves to work undetected
- Personal belongings – keeping valuables out of sight so as not to attract theft
- Documents – don’t keep logbooks and other vehicle documents in the car, which can help the thieves sell the vehicle
- Doors and windows – many thefts take place in slow-moving traffic, so get into the habit of locking doors and windows while you drive.
While most vehicles are now fitted with immobilisers, thieves are becoming far more tech-savvy and can bypass this technology with a technique known as ‘relay theft’. This is less likely to be carried out by opportunist thieves, and is more popular amongst organised crime gangs who steal vehicles to order. In this sector, thieves adopt technology to speed up the process and can use a system of amplifiers and transmitters to detect the signal from a key fob that is stored inside a house. It is possible for thieves to use this technology to essentially locate your keys without gaining entry to the house, and to transmit the signal from it to enable them to open your car and drive away.
How to implement additional security measures to guard against vehicle theft
It is possible to guard against keyless car theft by storing car key fobs away from the perimeter of the home overnight, i.e. away from front doors, perhaps taking them upstairs with you to bed. An alternative is to invest in a signal-blocking storage box, which are available on the market. Given the ability to bypass digital signals for keyless car theft, an unlikely comeback in physical security methods is also being seen. Steering wheel or gearstick locks were very common in the 1980s and 1990s, and now have the unique advantage of providing a secondary security method. Furthermore, they are a visible deterrent which will put off a thief, given they would need to invest time and risk in also finding a physical key to disengage the lock.
The increase in vehicle theft is an issue which should be noted by all fleet managers, who can calculate the risk and costs involved in losing vehicles from the fleet which are unlikely to be recovered. Fleet managers should revisit their security methods, particularly for vehicles stored at private residences overnight, and should implement a process of improvement measures to combat this rise in vehicle theft. You can talk to our experts at Total Motion for advice on fleet security and the importance of maintaining security amongst your fleet.
