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If you drive an older car and think it will never be targeted by car thieves, think again. Research by online insurance specialist elephant.co.uk reveals cars aged 8 years old are the most commonly stolen by thieves.
elephant.co.uk looked at data for all the cars it insures that were either broken into or stolen in the last 12 months. It found the car most frequently stolen in the last year was the Nissan Sunny, followed by the Rover Metro and Vauxhall Nova; all models that haven't been produced for many years.
In fourth and fifth place on the list are a hot hatch and a luxury car; the Audi S3 and Jaguar S-type.
elephant.co.uk managing director, Brian Martin said, "People may be under the impression that car thieves only want to target high end cars which they will sell.
"Although this does happen, we have found that the cars most likely to be stolen are older models, with those aged eight years the most common of all. It's probably because these cars are less likely to have security features displayed on newer models and are therefore easier to steal."
The cars most likely to be broken into are a mix of executive cars and older models. Top of the list is the S-type Jaguar, followed by the Rover Metro and X-type Jaguar. In fourth and fifth place in this list are the Jeep Wrangler and Fiat Cinquecento.
For the majority of crimes where something is stolen from a car, the criminals are opportunistic and will just smash and grab whatever the owner of the car has left on show. In these instances the greatest security in the world won't prevent the crime taking place.
elephant.co.uk is 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 shopping bags 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
Brian Martin added, "It seems car thieves just want an easy option when it comes to choosing which vehicle to target. If we make things even a little more difficult for them the chances are they will move on to the next car." Issue date: 26/05/2010
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