Vehicle Crime
Car Theft Index 2002
This document is published for archival/historical purposes. It will not be updated.
Vehicle crime accounts for just under one-fifth of all crimes recorded by the police. Although the number of crimes has been falling steadily since 1992, around 340,000 vehicles are still stolen every year. The Car Theft Index aims to give car buyers the information they need to make an intelligent choice when buying, or choosing how to protect, their car.
The Car Theft Index shows the make and models of car that are most at risk of being stolen in England, Scotland & Wales, but does not attempt to highlight regional trends. It is based on 2001 theft data from the Police National Computer and on information provided by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) on the number of cars on the road. Not all models of car are included in the Index. Only those with sufficient numbers on the road to provide statistically reliable results are shown.
For each year, the models are described as belonging to one of three categories
Red: Most at risk - more than 19 cars per 1000 on the road stolen
Amber: Medium risk - between 5 and 19 cars per 1000 on the road stolen
Green: Lower risk - up to 4 cars per 1000 on the road stolen
Newer cars generally appear in the green or amber categories, due to improved security measures being fitted to newer models, whereas older cars are generally in the most at risk categories.
Download the Car Theft Index 2002
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If you have a car that's in the green (lower risk) category - well done, but don't be complacent. No car is 'thief-proof' and over time you may find that the vulnerability of your car increases, as thieves become more sophisticated. Owners of more vulnerable cars can further reduce the risk of theft by using properly installed Thatcham compliant or Sold Secure approved security devices.
Last update: Wednesday, August 27, 2008