Due to Covid-19 and repeated lockdowns, people aren’t using their cars as much as they used to. However, car crime remains a pressing problem in the UK – alarmingly, one car is stolen every ten minutes.

Neighbourhood Watch Network will be launch a PROTECT YOUR CAR campaign on the 31st March to encourage everyone to keep their car’s safety a priority. To support the campaign download the campaign support pack (coming soon) below.

Most of us aren’t driving or checking on our cars as regularly at the moment, so it’s essential you leave your car in the safest place and state possible. There are simple steps everyone can take to protect their car and their belongings inside it.

John Hayward-Cripps, CEO of Neighbourhood Watch Network

The PROTECT YOUR CAR campaign provides owners with three quick steps to ensure better car safety:

  1. Leave your car locked
    A simple mistake that can prove calamitous: 44% of cars were broken into via an unlocked door.

     
  2. Leave your car well-lit
    80% of car crime occurs during the evening or at night. Parking near streetlamps or in a busy area can deter thieves.

     
  3. Leave your car empty or with no items on show
    Owners often forget that personal belongings within the car are at as much risk of being stolen as the car itself.  

For more information on how to protect your car visit our CAR CRIME page.

Car thieves are opportunists. Leaving an iPad on a car seat or forgetting to lock your car can act as an invitation for crime. We want to instil the habit of double-checking where and how you’ve parked with our three simple steps. As a local charity with a trusted voice in the community, we’re asking everyone to proactively support their neighbours and friends by sharing our three steps with three others. By spreading the word, we’re confident we can crackdown on car crime which can be deeply distressing and debilitating for its victims.

John Hayward-Cripps,  CEO of Neighbourhood Watch Network