10 worst regions for car vandalism

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With incidents of car vandalism costing an average £260 to repair, we reveal where you're most likely to be a victim of this kind of crime.

Have you ever gone to your car to find your window smashed, the antenna bent or the paintwork damaged? If the answer is yes, you’re among the 54% of motorists who have fallen victim to car vandalism, according to research from insurance company LV=.

In the past year, vandals have caused a massive £953 million worth of damage to British vehicles – with drivers forking out an average £260 for repairs.

There’s bad news for drivers living in the London borough of Enfield, which was identified as the top vandalism hotspot by LV=. South East London and Bournemouth experienced the second and third highest levels of vandalism.

Top 10 hotspots for car vandalism*

1. . Enfield
2. . South East London
3. . Bournemouth
4. . North West London
5. . Brighton
6. . Southall
7. . Romford
8. . Southend on Sea
9. . Rochester
10. . Edinburgh

Keying is the most common type of vandalism and accounts for 33% of these crimes. Smashed windows make up 26% of incidents and slashed tyres represent 10% of the damage. Bent antennas, smashed mirrors or windscreens and graffiti are also common.

Status symbols most at risk

Earlier this year, online insurer Swiftcover.com also collated data on car vandalism and found the Lexus IS is most likely to be targeted, followed by the BMW Z4 and the Mini One. The Mercedes CLK, Audi TT and Mazda MX-5 are also favourites with vandals.

Robin Reames, claims director at Swiftcover.com, said: ‘Our research shows that luxury cars are more likely to be targeted by vandals. The majority of vehicles in the top ten are what we call ‘executive cars’, likely to be driven by high earners who see their car as a status symbol.’

Will my insurance pay out?

Although you may be covered for malicious damage if you have comprehensive cover, most third party or third party fire and theft policies won’t pay out.

While you may receive a payout if you have a comprehensive policy, you’ll need to pay the excess and will therefore still lose money.

A few insurance companies allow you to retain your no claims discount if you make a claim for malicious damage that you could not have prevented. However, this is not a standard feature of insurance policies, so it’s wise to check your fine print carefully.

If you would like to put in a claim for one of these incidents, you need to report the incident to the police as well as your insurance company. However, LV= found 48% of victims did not report the incident to the police, although 12% believed they knew the identity of the perpetrator.

Quiz

Car insurance: fact or fiction

Car insurance costs are at a record high, creating more misery for cash-strapped motorists. To make matters worse, you risk overpaying on your premiums or even invalidating your insurance if you don’t know your policy’s fine print inside out.

So how good is your car insurance knowledge…?

Which colour of car is more expensive to insure – red or white?

They’re the same

Red

White

From December 2012, insurers will no longer be able to consider which of the following when setting premiums?

Job

Gender

IQ

Fully comprehensive policies automatically cover other people to drive your car – true or false?

True

False

Will your insurance always go up if you receive a speeding ticket?

Yes

No

Car insurance is often cheaper if you pay by monthly direct debit – true or false?

True

False

Which of the following could lower your car insurance costs?

Agreeing to pay a higher excess

Using your car for business purposes

Washing your car every week

0 / 6

Score: 0 out of 6

Retake the quiz

Protect yourself against vandalism

Installing motion-sensitive lighting puts vandals at increased risk of being seen outside your property, which may act as a deterrent to opportunist criminals.

If you have access to off-road parking such as a garage, it’s wise to use it. As well as reducing the risk of vandalism, keeping your car in a safe location could reduce the amount of your insurance premiums.

For more tips on car security, see Protect your car from thieves

*Source LV claim data

**This material is for information purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. We strongly encourage our readers not to rely solely on this content, but to seek independent advice when making financial decisions.**

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