Ilford postal area (IL) takes top spot for people making car insurance crime claims
– ‘Theft of vehicle’ is most common type of claim
– Motorists in Perth, Shrewsbury and Carlisle among those least likely to have made a claim
According to the lastest analysis from MoneySupermarket motorists in London and Essex are the UK’s most likeliest to claim on their insurance for car crime. The number one comparison site in the UK analysed 13.2m car insurance quotes that were run on their site over a 12 month period and found that the top spot was taken by the IL, Ilford, postal area.
The urban areas of RM, Romford, and W, West London, were next in the list of area where people are the most likely to make a claim for either vandalism to their car, theft of items from their car or theft of the vehicle.
At the other end of the scale, motorists in the Scottish city of Perth (PH), historic market town Shrewsbury (SY) and county town Carlisle (CA) are among those least likely to have made a claim.]
The research revealed the most common claim type is theft of vehicle making up over half of all claims (52 per cent), followed by vandalism damage (41 per cent), and theft of contents from a vehicle (seven per cent).
Peter Harrison, car insurance expert at MoneySupermarket, said: “While there are clearly some areas of the country with a higher proportion of insurance claims for car crime than others, this doesn’t actually mean the area is rife with crime. Thieves often specifically target areas with a high number of cars parked on the street, such as urban areas where space is at a premium and fewer houses have garages.
Alternatively quieter areas can often be targeted, where there’s not a lot of passing traffic, where the rewards are potentially greater and the risk of being caught in the act may be lower. This year, the IL postal area of Romford has taken the top spot for car crime insurance claims.
“No matter where you live or where you drive, there is always a chance you become a victim of car theft and vandalism, so motorists should take precautions when it comes to security. Ideally, try and park in a driveway or garage if you can. This is obviously not always possible, so if you’re parking on the street, look for busier roads with a good amount of lighting and more passing traffic.
If you’re parking on the street at home, try and park the car near to your house and again, look for good lighting and think about how the area might look in the dark – thieves could be less likely to target your car if they can be seen by other people, so parking under a street light is a good idea.
“Motorists should always secure their vehicle properly and hide any gadgets or bags left in the car; leaving expensive gadgets such as Sat Navs on display may encourage opportunistic thieves.
Installing an alarm or steering wheel lock will also act as a deterrent for anyone looking for an easy target. Even if your area is in a car insurance claim hotspot, you can still save money on your insurance by doing your research and switching to a better deal online. Don’t just accept your renewal quote as shopping around can amount to savings of £405.”
