The number of vehicles stolen has fallen by almost 39 per cent in the past decade. The number of thefts from vehicles has dropped by 45 per cent. There were 16,877 fewer victims of vehicle crime last year than 10 years previously.
You can help prevent yourself from becoming a victim of vehicle crime
Don’t leave your belongings on display and you won’t have to pay. Most vehicle crime is opportunist. If you leave your valuables in clear view when you park, your car could become a cash-point for a criminal.
Always try and park your car in an attended car park. Look for a public car park which is part of the police-approved Secured Car Parks scheme. A number of car parks in Hampshire have been awarded Secured Car Parks status and, as part of the ‘Safer Vehicles’ campaign, we’re working with partner agencies to make sure more car parks meet this standard.
If you are one of the growing number of people who have bought satellite navigation systems recently, mark the unit with your postcode and house number and take it with you when you leave the vehicle. Remember you’d be lost without it.
For information about Neighbourhood Watch, click here to visit our dedicated page
Caravan Owners - don’t let a criminal steal your holiday
Secure your caravan
- Lock the caravan head coupling into a good quality hitch lock. A list of Sold Secure products assessed and tested as suitable for caravans can be found at http://www.soldsecure.com/caravans.htm
- Use locking wheel nuts
- Fit an alarm
- Consider low level, dusk-til-dawn lighting for your driveway, reducing opportunities for criminals to act under cover of darkness
- Close windows, doors and rooflights every time you leave the vehicle
- Never leave valuables on show, or anything which has your address on it
- Never leave registration documents in the caravan
- If you are not going to be using your caravan for some time, consider putting it into secure storage.
Buying and selling caravans
- When buying a new caravan, ask about built in security features - all caravans manufactured since 1997 should be electronically tagged
- When buying a second-hand caravan, make sure the number plate on the caravan matches the one on the tow car and try to verify that the seller is who they say they are.
Registration of caravans
- Caravans manufactured since 1992 should be automatically registered with the Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme (CRiS) - if it is, it is possible to do a check of the caravan’s history through the scheme. It is now possible to register older caravans - call 01722 411 430.
More details of security for caravans can be found at www.nationalcaravan.co.uk.
More advice about protecting yourself from vehicle crime can be found at www.secureyourmotor.gov.uk.
To find out more about Safer Vehicles, download our leaflet here (.pdf, 240KB).
