Smash-and-grab attacks soar - Motorists targeted at traffic lights

• Eightfold increase in attacks
• Thieves striking at traffic lights and in jams
• Laptop thefts have doubled

Police aren’t doing enough to stem an eightfold increase in smash-and-grab attacks on motorists, according to a new survey.

Of the 1050 drivers polled in the Autoglass survey, 79% reckon police are more interested in collecting speeding fines than tackling car crime. Attacks on motorists waiting at traffic lights or in jams have sharply increased, claims the report, and now account for one in 12 incidents.

Autoglass managing director Nigel Doggett said: ‘Car crime figures might be going down year-on-year, but crooks are becoming increasingly bold. It’s no wonder when today’s portable technology means motorists are sitting ducks for smash-and-grab attacks.’

Laptop thefts have doubled over the past year, while nearly 26,000 GPS sat-nav systems have been taken over the past 12 months.

A quarter of motorists don’t have an alarm fitted to their car, however, while one in 10 who so admitted they hadn’t set the system before their car was targeted.