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Wednesday, September 22, 1999 Published at 17:57 GMT 18:57 UK


UK: Wales

Government calls for increased car security

The Government wants a 30% reduction in car crime

The government has launched a UK-wide strategy, to drastically reduce car-crime by almost a third, and is considering making anti-theft immobilisers compulsory on all vehicles.

Some Welsh motorists argue the extra cost is unfair, but the police are convinced it will help prevent thousands of cars being stolen.

More than 80,000 cars were broken into or stolen in Wales last year, according to figures from the four Welsh police forces.


[ image: Car crime figures for Wales]
Car crime figures for Wales
European legislation means that all new cars now have immobilisers as standard.

But the Vehicle Crime Action team set up by Home Secretary Jack Straw is recommending that they should now be fitted to older cars if they are to pass the MOT test.

Police believe fitting immobilisers could substantially reduce that figure and help them achieve the Home Secretary's target of a 30% reduction in vehicle related crime by 2004.

In Cardiff, newly-designed car parks are in the forefront of tackling car crime.

The government believes that increased car security could prevent 60,000 car thefts over the next four years but some Welsh motorists are unsure whether immobilisers should be made compulsory.



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