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If you drive an old car and think it will never be targeted by car thieves, think again. The most commonly stolen cars are Ford Fiestas aged ten years and over.
In fact, statistics from leading online insurer elephant.co.uk show that nine out of the top 10 most commonly stolen cars are over 10 years old and most are worth less than £1,000.
elephant.co.uk looked at a database of over 5,000 theft claims over the last year. Fiestas were by far the most commonly stolen cars with Escorts in second place.
The Volkswagen Golf was the third most commonly stolen car followed closely by Vauxhall Novas, Corsas and Cavaliers.
Managing Director of elephant.co.uk Tanzie Oliver said: "People may be under the impression that car thieves only want to target flashy fast cars which they will sell on as part of an elite underground business.
"Although this does happen, we have found that the majority of cars stolen are over ten years old and worth less than £1,000.
"It seems these cars are targeted as they are less likely to have security features displayed on newer models and are therefore easier to steal."
Now elephant.co.uk are urging motorists to be aware and protect themselves from thieves by following some simple but effective advice.
- Think about where you park. Thieves prefer dimly lit places with few passers-by, so choose a brightly lit street or a properly managed car park
- Check your windows and doors are locked, even if you are only leaving your car for a couple of minutes
- Remove any valuables from view, or better still take them with you
- Don't leave bags and boxes on display
- If you have a removable radio take it with you
- Use a steering wheel lock as a visual deterrent
- Fit an engine immobiliser and a car alarm
- Never leave your keys in the car - not even for a few seconds
Tanzie added: "It seems car thieves just want an easy option when it comes to choosing which vehicle to steal. If we make things even a little more difficult for them the chances are they will move on to the next car."
Issue date: 04-08-05
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