Motorcycle Thefts Cut
According to the latest figures from the Police National Computer, over 13,000 bikes were stolen in the first 8 months of 2013 and approximately only 5300 were recovered and returned to their owners. Using these figures to project the total number of bikes stolen in 2013 equates to just over twenty thousand, with only 8000 recoveries.
This compared to figures in 2007, when over 27,000 bikes were stolen, the number of missing bikes has been cut by 26%. Annual recovery however, has averaged out at 42% since 2007 namely due to reductions in the police force and the treating of vehicle theft as a 'low priority crime'. In Greater London alone 50% of all bike thefts take place, which is a huge total of 10,000+ bikes that went missing from the capital last year.
As abysmal as the recovery rate is, the majority of new machines are now data tagged as a result of the industry's new Master Security scheme introduced in 2012. Confirming the scheme is working, theft of new 2013 place bikes fell by just over 75% in the London Metropolitan area alone. Nonetheless, theft of pre-2013 plate and non-data tagged motorbikes has increased by a massive 55% as criminals focus their attention on the "easy to dispose" targets of non-security marked bikes.
At MCE Insurance we encourage bikers to put as much as possible in place to minimise the risk of theft. Whether your bike is road registered or not, a ground anchor is an essential security device if you are serious about preventing theft. MCE insurance also offers SORN insurance for bikes no longer in use, or simply in storage for that extra piece of mind! We can also combine a ground anchor with a SORN or Theft policy, so for more info give the friendly team a call at their UK based call centre on 0844 338 69 88.
07.01.2014 - MCE Insurance
