- Car theft identified as a gateway crime for young people who then go on to commit more serious offences such as burglary
- 1,156 under 18’s were charged with vehicle theft between 2019-2021
- Children as young as 12 have been charged with car theft in the past three years
- Findings revealed by Direct Line’s “Truth about Car Theft” campaign, in partnership with the University of Huddersfield
New research from Direct Line Motor Insurance reveals 1,156 people under the age of 18 have been charged with vehicle theft in the past three years, the equivalent of more than one per day. The statistics also reveal that children as young as 12 have been charged with the crime.
More than half (53 per cent) of under-18s charged with vehicle theft in the past three years were aged between 15 and 16. However, 10 per cent of those charges were aged between 13 and 14. Seven children aged between 11-12 were also charged during this period. South Yorkshire Police revealed children as young as 10 have been arrested for car theft in each of the past three years2.
The figures show that 514 under-18s were charged with vehicle theft in 2019. The number of young people charged fell to 356 in 2020 and 286 in 2021 when pandemic travel restrictions were in force. However, there are concerns the number of under-18s charged with vehicle theft could increase again now that restrictions have ended.
The research is based on insight from Direct Line’s ‘Truth about Car Theft’ campaign with the University of Huddersfield.3 The study, based on detailed academic interviews of convicted car thieves reveals car theft can be a gateway crime to more serious offences. During the interviews, one offender stated: “They say car crime is a gateway of crime. Yes. That’s how it was for me anyway. I’ve done everything. Town robberies and everything”.
Another said his family got him involved: “When I was young, my father, he told me when I was eight, I was driving round the park and his brother signed me up. My mum and dad split up…My dad came back on the scene and yes, he got me taking a few cars here and there. Then I went on being on my own, doing cars on my own”.
A third offender started: “I got into drugs at a young age. I was about 14 when I fell into drugs and car crime just came hand-in-hand with it”. He used heroin and crack cocaine and was committing crimes under the influence of those drugs.
The offender explained why he ‘chose’ vehicle crime over other offences: “It was one of three options. It was either shoplifting, which is embarrassing and degrading. There’s burglary, which carries a lot more time, more jail, and then there’s car crime which is, we used to say when we were kids, taking candy from a baby.”
The notion of car theft as a gateway crime is supported by data from West Yorkshire Police. It shows 765 people aged under 18 in the region were charged with other offences between 2019 and 2022, having previously been charged with vehicle theft. Of these, 180 young people were charged with burglary having previously been charged with vehicle theft.
Professor Rachel Armitage, Professor of Criminology, University of Huddersfield, said: “Our research found many prolific car thieves start committing vehicle crime at a young age, often in their early teens.
“Unfortunately, car crime can often be a gateway crime to more serious offences. Offending can sadly be driven by older family members, or to fund an illegal drug habit, so it is important we also consider how vulnerable children can be supported to help prevent them engaging in criminal activity in the first place.”
Lorraine Price, head of motor insurance at Direct Line, commented: “More than one car theft each day is committed by a child or teenager, which is a sad reflection of our society.
“That children as young as 12 are being charged with vehicle theft is truly shocking. Children should be focussing on school and having fun, they should be protected from older family members or associates seeking to lead them into a life of crime.”
“Having your car stolen can be incredibly distressing and cause significant inconvenience for the victim. While car owners shouldn’t have to take additional precautions to protect their vehicles, they can reduce the risk of being targeted.”
How to reduce the risk of car theft
While car crime is never the fault of the victim, there are steps motorists can take to help reduce their risk of being targeted, or to help retrieve their vehicle if it is stolen:
- Trackers: Using a tracker within your car can play a big part in getting your car retrieved
- Alarms: Use of a motion-sensor alarm in your drive, particularly using a recorded voice, can deter a car thief from entering your car
- Cleanliness: Having a tidy car also helps, as a car thief will see a messy car and typically think there is something of value underneath the debris
- Bollards and CCTV: Consider installing a parking post or bollard to block in your vehicle on the drive and CCTV cameras to help deter thieves
- Keys: Don’t leave them visible, use a faraday pouch to store keys at home to help prevent against relay theft
- Entry/exit noise: For example, having a gravel driveway – noise is a deterrent for car thieves
- Deterrents: A car behind a gate, lights, or even a dog are big deterrent for car thieves
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