Nearly a third (31%) of drivers would challenge a thief trying to steal their car – men 41% and women 22% and rising to 35% of over 55s, compared to 26% of under 54s.
More than one in ten (11%) would also like to take drastic action to protect their car, e.g., putting an electric shock device on the car door to stop thieves men 14% and women 8%.
The Opinium survey of 2,000 UK drivers by InsuretheGap, a provider of Guaranteed Asset Protection insurance, finds that over one in seven (16%) are more worried about car theft than they used to be, with nearly a fifth (18%) worrying about criminal gangs targeting cars. Nearly a fifth (17%) are concerned about buying a car that is attractive to thieves.
One in six (18%) check on their car regularly when at home and one in ten (11%) have CCTV or a video doorbell to monitor their car, rising to a fifth (20%) of under 34s.
Nearly one in ten drivers (9%) say car theft is a big problem in their area and 8% use a wheel lock or a gear clamp to stop thieves. However, a fifth of drivers (19%) admit to leaving their car unlocked by accident; a home goal for car thieves.
Only 10% never worry about their car being stolen, and this is because they say their car is an old banger.
If a car is stolen, or written off, the insurance company usually only pays what the car was worth at the time of the incident. Because of depreciation, this can be significantly less than the amount paid for it. GAP insurance can bridge the gap between the value of the car when it was bought, and its value when written off or stolen. GAP insurance is available from insurance providers, like InsuretheGap.com, and can be significantly cheaper than those offered by car dealerships.