Autumn is the Worst Season for Vehicle Theft

Fireworks on a random Tuesday seem suspicious, don’t they? But on Bonfire night or New Year’s day, you would think nothing of it. We investigated whether there might be noticeable spikes or lulls in vehicle crime around key events in the UK calendar, such as bonfire night, New year’s Day, Christmas Day, or daylight savings. To find this out, we submitted a Freedom of Information Request to the Metropolitan Police and East Midlands Police. Together, they serve around 12 million people.

Interestingly, we did not discover any standout vehicle crime spikes, including theft of, theft from or criminal damage to a vehicle, on any key dates between the 5th of November 2024 to 2025. However, many of the highest incidence days land in Autumn. Conversely, some key holidays saw low vehicle crime rates.

Which days are the worst for vehicle-related crime in the UK?

Crime data provided by the Metropolitan Police in response to a Freedom of Information request shows the days of the year between November the 5th, 2024 and November the 4th 2025 where the highest number of vehicle-related thefts took place. The crimes recorded were ‘theft from a vehicle’, ‘theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle’, ‘interfering with a motor vehicle’ or ‘criminal damage to a vehicle’.

We also gathered similar data from West Midlands Police in the same period, they included ‘aggravated vehicle taking’. The table below shows the worst dates for vehicle crime.

Shorter days, daylight savings and a transition to indoor lifestyles, could potentially contribute to a rise in vehicle-related crime. It seems that the days with the highest incidence of vehicle crime often fall during autumn, this is especially true from in the Met Police data.

• Shorter days and longer nights provide more cover for thieves, however, this would not explain why there are spikes during autumn rather than in winter.
• A transition away from outdoor living could mean that there are fewer potential witnesses to vehicle crime. However, we might expect these spikes to carry on into the winter months.
• Daylight savings and a shift in routines could contribute to the rise in burglaries in autumn. Cars are suddenly left for longer periods of darkness, often in public places or at home.

Even criminals take time off for Christmas

Key holidays saw lower levels of vehicle crime, likely due to more people being at home or congregating. According to the Metropolitan Police, the lowest day for vehicle crime is Christmas Day, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

• December 25: 140 crimes
• December 24: 162 crimes
• New Year’s Day: 179 crimes

Where is the Safest Place in London for Vehicle Crime?

Outer southwest London boroughs, Kingston upon Thames, Sutton and Merton, consistently show the lowest levels of vehicle-related crime. They are also among the least deprived boroughs in London. Social deprivation is the number one determining factor for all types of crime.

These areas have lower depravation, higher employment rates, a suburban, low-density population and may have more off-street parking than other areas. Also, the population may be less transient than with other areas, with fewer key transport hubs. However, with high vehicle ownership and a prevalence of luxury cars, there is still a risk of theft, so it is important to have the right protection in place.

Read about the benefits of GAP insurance.

Where is the Worst Place in London for Vehicle Crime?

Some of the highest vehicle crime rates in London are Ealing, Westminster and Croydon. The high crime in Ealing, Croydon, Newham and Barnet could be largely driven by deprivation but there are some other factors to consider for Westminster. There are major transport corridors enabling quick escape. A high population density and likely a more transient population with high parking turnover rates could be enticing for opportunistic thieves or organised criminals. Generally, crime is higher in central districts where there is high footfall, more tourists and crowd anonymity. Westminster is generally considered the highest crime borough with 132 crimes per 1,000 people.

Preventing vehicle crime when risk is high

Parking somewhere safe, isn’t always practical but there are also some simple habits and strategies that can reduce your risk significantly. We provide a list of impactful ways to reduce vehicle crime, but they are often not possible to implement every time, or straight away. Prioritise these in areas with higher crime, or during high-risk periods, especially if you leave your car unattended for a long time.

• If possible, park in secure locations such as multi-storey or underground car parks or underground with CCTV.
• Avoid parking in high through-traffic areas and tourist-dense locations, crowd anonymity can increase the risk.
• Park in well-lit areas, in view or with natural surveillance (such as outside pubs, cafes or entrances).
• Install security cameras and location tracking – this can deter opportunistic thieves and help you recover the car, or identify the perpetrator if someone does commit a crime.
• Use a steering wheel lock, you can leave this in your car and use it any time you park for long periods.

Following the above guidance is not always possible, so here are some practical tips that anyone can implement right away to reduce their risk.

Simple habits you can implement today:

• Don’t leave items in your car. You can leave the glovebox open and empty to show that there is nothing inside.
• Turn the wheels towards the curb. This significantly slows down escape
• Park between other cars. This leaves less space for escape, slowing the perpetrator down.
• Always fully close the windows. Even an invisible opening leaves your car vulnerable.
• Always double lock your car. Some require this to engage deadlocks.

Even if you take all of the precautions, it is not always possible to avoid vehicle theft. Comprehensive car insurance pays the market value of the car if it gets stolen which can be reassuring but there will be a shortfall to cover, compared to what you originally paid.

There is a way to recover the full amount that you paid for your car. GAP insurance tops up your comprehensive car insurance settlement to help you afford a more suitable replacement vehicle. Most cars lose a significant amount to depreciation and GAP insurance can recover this after theft or a total loss.