Just one in five car thefts in Britain end up with the thief being sent to prison.
There were 7,405 prosecutions for the theft of a motor vehicle in England and Wales between 2012 and 2016, according to new research published by vehicle insurers Churchill.
Jail time was handed down for just 20 per cent of these trials, with the average length standing at 21 months and, when a prison sentence was not awarded, thieves were fined an average of just £198.
The analysis uncovered an increase in juvenile car crime, revealing a 52 per cent rise in the number of under-18s prosecuted between 2012 and 2016. As a result, 14 per cent of all trials for theft over the past five years involved juveniles.
Steve Barrett, head of car insurance at Churchill, believes the current deterrents are not strong enough to discourage criminals.
“We believe the punishment needs to reflect the impact of the crime, with greater sentences and fines for the theft of a vehicle,” he said.
“Given the risks, however, it is important owners make their vehicles as difficult to steal as possible and to have measures in place so that if it is stolen, there is a way of locating it and identifying the perpetrator.”