Car thieves shun 4x4s

By Nigel Wonnacott

Motor Industry

01 July 2008 11:36

Greens hate their CO2 emissions, campaigners may question their safety record and owners might be feeling the pinch at the pump. But 4x4s can claim at least one advantage over smaller cars; they are among the least likely types of car to be stolen.

According to the latest Home Office Car Theft Index, just four in every thousand 4x4s and people carriers in Britain were stolen in 2006, compared to seven for Fiesta and Astra-sized cars. Seven in a thousand sports cars were also taken.

But while there are differences in types, across the board thefts have plummeted. In the last five years the number of stolen cars fell 44 per cent to 176,000, with a similar decline in attempted theft. That’s largely thanks to immobilisers, a standard fit since 1998, and which now secure more than two thirds of Britain’s 31 million cars.

A reduction in the number of things stolen from cars - rather than the cars themselves – doesn’t make such dramatic reading, but there is still progress. Crime fell a quarter, to 1.13 million ‘theft-from’ incidents in five years.

“In the drive to halt the car thieves, immobilisers were a fundamental step forward,” said Paul Everitt chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. “But equally, partnership brokered through VCRAT, the Vehicle Crime Reduction Action Task Force, has taken the battle to the car criminal. We can now say with confidence; we’re winning the war.”

Last week, Citroen cleaned up at the insurance industry’s fifth annual security awards at Thatcham, winning four categories. The C6, won most secure executive car for the second year running while the C4 Picasso Exclusive won the compact MPV class. The C5 Exclusive and C4 Exclusive took honours in small and small family categories.

However, despite Citroen’s four awards, Audi was still named best overall manufacturer.

http://www.smmt.co.uk/downloads/motorfacts.pdf

By Nigel Wonnacott