Drivers urged to 'dent' or 'scratch' their car or face £269 charge

Drivers urged to 'dent' or 'scratch' their car or face £269 charge
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Drivers are resorting damaging their cars to deter criminals as two in five vehicles are stolen in the UK. Motorists and road users are damaging their OWN motors due to a staggering and worrying rise in vehicle crime across the country.

Nearly 130,000 cars were stolen between April 2023 and March 2024, almost double the number stolen a decade ago at 70,000. Bryn Brooker, head of road safety at Nextbase, said: "This alarming rise in car thefts cannot be solved by police alone, who often don’t even get called until a stolen car has been stripped for parts or shipped abroad.

"At Nextbase, we’re committed to helping drivers and police end this scourge of theft with dash cams. They can act as both a deterrent and a crucial early warning system, with footage sent to your phone the moment your car is touched."

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The average cost of an insurance premium rises by a staggering £629 following the theft of car. Some motorists have also resorted to making their car “less attractive” to avoid it being stolen with 13 per cent having left a scratch or dent visible on their car. Gus Park, managing director of AA Insurance Services, warned that despite efforts to reduce thefts, “the figures are simply too high”.

He said: "Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that every stolen car increases the cost of claims and pushes premiums up for everyone.” "A simple way to help reduce the cost of insurance is to target vehicle crime and do everything possible to eliminate vehicle theft.

"While there is no one single thing to completely protect your vehicle, our advice to drivers is to install approved alarms, immobilisers, or steering locks and to never leave valuables on display in the car." He spoke out as it emerged drivers are resorting to damaging their own vehicles to prevent thefts.

The warning comes amid the Cost of Living crisis.