Liverpool 'not the capital for car theft'

COMEDIANS like to joke that Liverpool is the home of car thieves. But new research scotches this myth once and for all. Instead, motorists in Leeds, Bristol and Manchester should be locking their vehicles and removing valuables from them.

Analysis of more than five years of policy and claims data from insurance company Endsleigh found that car drivers in London, Birmingham and Manchester are the most likely to have accidents.

According to the research almost one in five (18.1%) of motorists in London make a claim on their car insurance policy, with drivers in the capital 50% more likely to have an accident than the national average. London is also the fourth most dangerous city for car theft.

There are more cars on the road in London than other major cities, despite the introduction of the congestion charge, and this is one reason for the capital being so far up the rankings.

However, the top two cities for motor theft claims also feature in the top 10 for motor accidents. Leeds is the UK's most dangerous city for motor theft and also comes ninth for accidents. Bristol is the UK's second most dangerous for theft and sixth overall for accident claims.

Whether Scottish drivers are safer than those south of the border remains to be seen. But, statistically, Aberdeen is the safest city in the country for motor theft and the seventh safest for accidents. Edinburgh, meanwhile, is fifth safest for theft and ninth safest for accidents.

Endsleigh spokesman Stuart Wartalski said the survey should lay a few preconceived opinions about certain towns and cities to rest. But comedians may still find some new targets for their jokes.

Wartalski added: 'We have also identified areas where much has been done to counter the threats of motor accidents and theft. It is clear that some cities will need to work hard to ensure that they do not become indelibly marked as crime or accident hotspots.'

Endsleigh‘s claim frequency figures reveal 18.1% of policyholders in London make claims for accidents every year. The next nine are: Birmingham (14.2%), Derby and Manchester (14.1%), Sheffield (14%), Bristol (13.5%), Coventry (13%), Stockport (12.9%), Leeds (12.7%) and Glasgow (12.6%).