Worried about getting your car nicked? Then move to this super safe UK city
Vehicle theft is a major issue for UK motorists, as criminals are becoming smarter with new security technologies. Would you consider moving to this British city if it meant your car was safe?
IF the thought of your car being stolen is keeping you up at night, relocating to a different part of the country could be (an expensive) way to ease your concern.
A new study has revealed the UK's safest cities for cars, and the areas where motorists are least likely to fall victim to car theft or break-ins.
Research conducted by Admiral found residents living in Norwich were least likely to report their car stolen, while Newcastle and Belfast also recorded a very low number of theft claims.
On the other end of the spectrum, Liverpool proved to be the area where you were most likely to have your car stolen, closely followed by central London and Birmingham.
The data revealed the Ford Fiesta was the car most likely to be stolen, followed by the Range Rover and Volkswagen Golf.
But according to a representative from Admiral, motorists should be more concerned about having their cars broken into rather than stolen.
The research indicated claims for car break-ins were significantly higher than those for theft.
When it comes to location, Belfast is the safest city to avoid having your car broken in to, closely followed by Newcastle and Brighton.
Data also showed criminals were consistent with the cars they target, as the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Fiesta featured again, this time among the cars most commonly broken in to.
London proved the most hazardous area, with different regions of the capital taking up the top four spots for areas with the most break-in claims.
Overall, Belfast proved to be the safest city for avoiding both car theft and break-in, as well as home burglary.
Head of claims at Admiral, Lorna Connelly, said: “Relatively few of the claims we deal with are for car crime, and the improvement in-car security has no doubt resulted in fewer thefts in recent years.
"However, our research shows it’s still a problem that hasn’t gone away. Car owners should do whatever they can to make sure they aren’t a victim.
“Our data suggests home burglaries are more of a problem than car crime in some cities, for example Southampton came eighth in our list of safest cities for cars being stolen, but was tenth worst for house burglaries.
“Simple measures such as making sure cars are well secured with alarms and security cameras and that valuable items are not on display for all to see will help deter criminals.”