Scooter and Motorcycle theft on the rise in the UK

A report released by Police Recorded Crime statistics for England and Wales indicates a rising growth in the theft of Scooters and Motorcycles (estimated 22,500 bikes stolen last year in the UK). This is mirrored by a recent Home Office report which underlines a 44% increase in motorbike theft in London alone.

With advanced technology in vehicle security on newer models of cars and vans it means they are way more difficult to be stolen than their two-wheeled cousins, so it’s no wonder that scooters and motorcycles are suddenly at the top of a thief’s shopping list.

The majority of scooters and motorcycles are mainly stolen to order to be sold on the black market, they are also a getaway vehicle of choice for criminals and gangs in bag snatching cases, muggings, robberies and petty theft. Add joy riders to the list and the fact that many scooters and motorbikes can be easily stripped down to be sold on for spare parts and you can get an understanding why this type of theft is on the rise.

When a stolen scooter or motorbike is being used in any of the crimes above, the criminals aren’t really concerned about being an law abiding road user and accidents do and will happen. That’s why, as Motorbike Injury Lawyers, we see the less-talked about side of these type of crimes when innocent motorbike users are injured and seek to claim compensation for their injuries.

Preventing your motorcycle being stolen

There are a number of ways to make your scooter or motorbike more secure and prevent it from becoming a target for thieves…

Motorbike Locks

Use more than one lock to secure your bike. Thread the chain or cable through the bike frame to make it more secure. If leaving overnight then make sure your bike is fitted to a ground anchor to make it more secure.

Alarms

Get an alarm fitted, the louder the better, make it as difficult as possible for a thief to hang around and continue to try and steal your bike once an alarm is triggered. Bike covers work in the same way as its another layer of protection that a thief has to work through and will put off most opportunistic thieves.

Tagging & Tracking

You can get your bike tagged from firms like DataTag or from local Police incentives. Tracking is also proving to be a popular with motorcyclists – okay will not help with preventing the bike being stolen but the bike can be quickly mapped, sourced and recaptured by the Police after the crime has taken place.

The message from the authorities is pretty simple – spend some time on making your scooter or motorcycle more secure and the less likely you’ll be another statistic on a motorbike theft report.

One last tip

If your scooter or motorcycle has been stolen and the Police have not been able to recover it then try searching for your bike on sites such as eBay or Gumtree – it’s a long shot, we admit, but some people have been lucky and able to trace their stolen scooters and motorcycles on these sites.

Image courtesy of Mototrope Blog (source)