Despite Dipping Car Theft Rates, Denizens Remain Fretful

Although the car crime rate in UK has taken a significant downturn in the past few years, citizens remain concerned about the security issues surrounding their vehicles.

According to a recent survey, about 74 percent of UK drivers fret about having their vehicles stolen. In terms of demographics, Yorkshire and East Midlands hold the highest population of worried drivers, with a solid 80 percent.

Their Scottish counterparts, on the other hand, were seen to be polar opposites in this regard.

The study, which was conducted by a premier car insurance company, was held to research the kind of terms that could be introduced to safeguard people’s vehicles, especially for those who regularly shopped around in car insurance comparison sites.

However, despite all the fears and worries surrounding car theft issues, the study revealed that only 0.16 of the company’s customers suffered from theft of vehicle in 2011. This was quite a dip from the 0.54 per cent in 2001.

Dave Halliday, the representative of the car insurance company in question, had this to say on the matter: “This anxiety could be linked to a general sense of unease about the state of the country and the economy in particular; our cars are, after all, one of the most valuable things we own.”

In other news, there has been a shift of attention on the insurers’ part, from trying to reduce premium costs to providing better cover. Taking customer’s demands for more comprehensive car insurance policies in mind, some insurers have stepped up their game to introduce more convenient and pervasive cover for their customers. While some service providers are offering multi-car policies for families having multiple vehicles, others are introducing free breakdown cover as part of special offers.

The breakdown policy for instance, means that the policy holder will be covered in a situation where his/her car needs roadside repairs or restoration in a garage within ten miles. They will also be provided with the amenity of having a message sent to friends or family to let them know about the event.

Ben Tyte, spokesperson for a company that has been offering breakdown policies, said, “Breaking down could be a real inconvenience so having peace of mind that you are covered and can call upon professional help is invaluable – especially in winter and on those cold, dark nights.”

Such policies have been introduced after studies concluded that more than 13.7 million Britons didn’t have any idea what to do if their vehicle went spinning on snow or ice. Another 27 percent were found to be more likely to make the situation even worse by their tinkering.

This only proves that breakdown policies are the dish for the season in terms of car insurance. Also, some car insurance companies have offered free breakdown cover to new customers in order to boost sales. The ploy seems to have been successful as most of these companies have experienced massive sales growth.