Are you someone who worries about whether or not you've left your car in a safe place?
If you do, a tool created by Co-op Insurance might help. It displays the number of vehicle crimes in a given area, to help you make a more considered choice.
Users can enter a location or postcode anywhere in England or Wales to see the number of crimes that have happened there.
The aim is to make people more aware of the location in which they choose to park their car.
Co-op Insurance’s Park Smart tool uses data from March, 2018, to August, 2018, published by the Home Office, to display the number of vehicle crimes.
It displays three coloured circles. Red highlights an area that has had six or more incidents, orange shows places that have had three to five car crimes, and yellow is for zero to two.
We used the tool around Swansea to see which places were the least safe places to park your car.
Which places have had the most vehicle crimes? (on or near the locations)
Constitution Hill - 13
Gorse Lane - 12
Neath Road- 12
Port Tennant Road - 10
Coronet Way - 10
Upper Fforest Way - 9
Singleton hospital - 9
Eigen Crescent - 9
Coast Cafe - 8
Morriston hospital - 8
Bryn-y-mor Road - 8
Phoebe Road - 8
A report by WalesOnline in March said vehicle thefts had doubled in parts of Wales over the past five years.
Figures released by South Wales Police show that in the seven policing regions in Swansea, vehicle thefts have increased in five, but have actually decreased in two areas - Penlan and Gorseinon.
According to the figures, the biggest percentage increase was in the east of the city, where thefts have doubled over the past five years, increasing from 25 in 2014, to 52 last year.
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Co-op insurance has also created a blog with tips on how to keep your car safe,
It says driveways and garages are the most secure places to park your car.
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However, there are plenty of extra measures you can take to ensure your vehicle is safe.
These include:
- Drive forwards onto your driveway or garage. This deters criminals looking to get away speedily.
- Park as close to the house as possible. Criminals are less likely to approach a car that can be seen easily.
- Park in line with a large window. Open spaces are likely to deter criminals.
- When parking in a car park, the blog also suggests trying to park close to other cars. When you isolate your vehicle, thieves are less exposed to passers-by and, in turn, are more likely to take their opportunity.
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- The blog also said that when parking on a road, you should also leave your vehicle on a main road, and try to park it under street lamps. This way, if the sun dips or you are away from your car for longer than expected, the area is well lit and criminals are less likely to linger.
