Durban – Did you know that South Africa does not rank in the Top 3, Top 5 or even the Top 10 of the world’s top car theft hot spots.
According to research curated from more than 250 000 tweets, Spain ranks as the world’s worst country for car thefts while Greece, Germany, Mexico and Belgium are among the other countries ranking in the top 10 countries with the most tweets relating to car theft.
The research analysed 257 268 tweets including terms such as “car was stolen” from cities and countries around the world, to highlight where people are most frequently discussing the topic and using the platform to try and locate their stolen motor, as a result of being victims themselves.
The total number of tweets was ranked for each location to reveal which cities and states are the worst hit by the car theft.
A new study by Scrap Car Comparison, when looking at worldwide capital cities that experience the most thefts, the UK’s capital London ranked in the top 10 overall, behind the likes of Dublin, New York and Rome.
In South Africa, last year Tracker reported that KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape had accounted for more of the national vehicle crime activities.
“KwaZulu-Natal has moved from an average of 16% of the vehicle crime activities to 19% for the past three years, while Western Cape has moved from 6% to 9%,” Tracker said.
“When examining the split between theft and hijacking at provincial level for the past year, six provinces experience a greater amount of hijacking than theft. The Western Cape has the highest incidence of hijacking compared to theft with a 78/22% split. The majority of this vehicle crime occurs in the greater Western Cape metropolitan area,” said CEO at Tracker South Africa, Duma Ngcobo.
However according to the list, South Africa ranks in spot 20.
With more than 2 000 tweets from Spain referencing hijacking, the country takes the unfortunate title of the worst country in the world for car thefts.
Uganda (1 815 tweets) and Chile (1 803 tweets) follow as the second and third worst countries for car theft, with Greece (1 798 tweets) and Egypt (1 734 tweets) completing the top five countries with the most tweets relating to car theft.
On a global scale, Cairo, Egypt, ranks top of the capital cities, with 2 000 tweets about car theft coming from the city. Car thefts and gang-style operations profiting from the theft of vehicles in the city have been well documented in the press, which will contribute to the number of people discussing the topic online.
Six tips to prevent your car from being stolen:
Park somewhere sensible – thieves will generally look for vehicles that are parked in unlit areas where there are likely to be few witnesses. Try to park somewhere with high levels of visibility or purchase a movement-activated spotlight or surveillance camera as a deterrent.
Double check it’s locked – it’s easy to assume that you’ve clicked the key as you walk away from your car, but it’s worth taking the time to manually check the handle to ensure your car is locked correctly. It only takes one slip of the finger or fault with your car or key to leave your vehicle vulnerable.
Hide belongings – often thieves may be looking to steal what’s inside your car, rather than the car itself, so always make sure to hide valuables in your cubbyhole or boot if you can’t take them with you. Even empty carrier bags could be tempting too!
Use visible deterrents – although they may seem a bit over the top, or old-school in nature, if you’re feeling unsure about where your vehicle is parked, it’s worth investing in a steering wheel lock to give you some extra peace of mind.
Take care with your keys with advancements in technology, it now doesn’t even need a key or any brute force to get your vehicle moving. ‘Keyless’ cars can be stolen via ‘relay attack’, so make sure your key is stored in a signal-blocking pouch or well away from your car to avoid this happening.
Keep important documents at home – losing your car documents can make it all the trickier if your car is stolen, as the vehicle will be more likely to be sold on, and it leaves you at greater risk of identity fraud. Although it may be tempting to leave them in the cubbyhole, take any important documents such as your logbook out of the car and put them in safekeeping at home.
IOL