The dark-nights myth: winter car crime jumps 215% in Liverpool but falls in seaside towns
New analysis of street-level police records across 88 UK town centres finds almost no national winter rise in vehicle crime - but a dramatic town-by-town split that turns the received wisdom on its head.
Everyone knows crime rises when the clocks go back. The data says: it depends where you park.
Comparing the three darkest months with the three lightest across 88 UK town centres, national vehicle crime is essentially flat - the winter total sits within a few percent of the summer one. The averages hide the real story: Liverpool city centre recorded 230 vehicle crimes across November-January against 73 in April-June - a 215% difference - with Norwich (+102%), Stevenage (+75%) and Slough (+62%) close behind. (Towns with steep overall trends will show part of that trend in their seasonal figure; the full methodology is published on the data page.)
The towns that run the other way
At the opposite end, Mansfield (-62%), Brighton (-60%) and Carlisle (-56%) see vehicle crime peak in summer, when visitor car parks fill and seafront parking is at capacity. For these towns, the dangerous season for your car is the holiday season.
What it means for drivers
Seasonal risk is local. In winter-spiking towns, the weeks after the October clock change are when visible deterrents and signal-blocking key pouches earn their keep; in summer-peaking towns, the busy months already passed. The full town-by-town table, updated monthly from police street-level records, is free below - including a CSV download for researchers and journalists.
See your town: winter vs summer vehicle crime
Journalists: this analysis is free to reuse with a link to the source page. Underlying data, methodology and CSVs: the data hub.
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