Vehicle Crime
Vehicle Fires: Explaining the rise in vehicle arson
This report explores the relationship between vehicle fires, abandoned vehicles and vehicle theft. The research was conducted across 7 fire and rescue services, 5 police forces and numerous local authorities.
Title: Vehicle Fires: Explaining the rise in vehicle arson
Author: Steve Merrall (University of Liverpool), Sylvia Chenery (University of Huddersfield)
Date published: March 2005
Number of pages: 25
Availability: Download full report 
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Key findings
50% of deliberate primary vehicle fires occur in vehicles that have been reported stolen.
The primary motivation for arson in stolen vehicles is the destruction of forensic evidence, e.g. DNA.
Vehicles that have not been reported stolen, are set on fire as a means of disposing of the vehicle. Such vehicles tend to be unlicensed and/or untaxed and again the purpose is to destroy identifying evidence.
From 1998 people had to pay to dispose of their vehicles rather than be paid, and older vehicles tend to be owned by those on the lowest incomes.
Vehicle licensing and registration system weaknesses have made it easier for individuals to dispose of vehicles illegally without being traced.
Recent policy developments to tackle vehicle arson include:
vehicle removal schemes
the introduction of continuous registration for vehicle licensing where the vehicle owner has responsibility for licensing a vehicle until the DVLA has been informed of its destruction
the time to remove unwanted vehicles from the road was reduced to 24 hours instead of 7 days.
From 2002 deliberate vehicle fires have fallen for the first time in 5 years, because of the impact of numerous policy and legislative changes, and to a recent rise in the price of scrap metal.
The link with vehicle theft clearly demonstrates the importance of close co-operation between the police and fire services.
Recommendations
Police, the fire and rescue service and local authorities need to extend their co-operation. Data sharing protocols must be in place to set out how data is shared.
Local community safety fora and guidance from central government are the appropriate means of ensuring common standards of data collection.
Recent legislation changes have solved the weaknesses in vehicle registration and licensing, but it is important to keep monitoring the process, particularly given probable increases in vehicle disposal due to the End of Life Vehicle Directive from the end of 2003.
- This provides for free disposal at the manufacturers' expense from 2007, which will encourage owners to dispose of their unwanted vehicles safely.
Last update: Thursday, September 13, 2007