{"id":23165,"date":"2023-01-30T13:50:10","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T13:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/discerningcyclist.com\/?p=23165"},"modified":"2023-12-04T09:45:48","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T09:45:48","slug":"bike-theft-statistics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/discerningcyclist.com\/bike-theft-statistics\/","title":{"rendered":"Bike Theft Statistics: How Many Bicycles Are Stolen Each Year? "},"content":{"rendered":"
\n The Short Answer <\/p>\n \n
Millions of bikes<\/a> are stolen each year worldwide, but the exact number is difficult to determine due to underreporting. It is crucial for cyclists to take precautions like using locks and registering their bikes to prevent theft.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n Bike theft is one of the most frequently occurring crimes across the globe. Police reports, insurance company data and statistics from bicycle security companies show many hundreds of thousands of incidents annually. And you have to consider thefts which aren\u2019t reported to the authorities at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whilst it’s clear that bike theft is a common and unhappy experience<\/a> for millions of people across the world, there is no true, defined reporting method. Police data don’t account for unreported incidents and insurers might truly only know about claims reported to them.<\/p>\n\n\n There are some surveys which although small in number are wide-ranging. The facts only of the crimes reported can be found in police data, most of which in the UK is published monthly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bike criminals the world over know that bikes are by their nature portable and light. It\u2019s easy to be inconspicuous when breaking locks and there are more bikes than ever to choose from. A surge bike use in a two year period from early 2020 saw a significant increase in theft incidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bike theft is a very frequently occurring crime all around the world<\/a>. And the reported figures will be much, much lower than the actual number of bikes stolen. It seems that worldwide figures<\/a> are under-estimated by the hundreds of thousands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore there is no definitive number of bikes stolen per year and no true ‘bike theft capital of the world’. What is evident from the statistics is that your are more likely to have a bike stolen if you live in an area where cycling is a popular and encouraged aspect of daily life<\/a>. Bike theft crime is not exclusively linked to the crime of theft overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Theft of bikes in the city of Cambridge in England is more than double per 100,000 of population than Medellin in Colombia, or Mexico City. But most people would not link these cities in terms of overall crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There seems a reasonable argument from the Luko Global Bicycle Cities Index that the rate of bike theft per 100 people in bicycle-friendly cities is not any greater than less bicycle-friendly cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bike theft puts members of the public off cycling. This is a particularly unfortunate statistic<\/a>. It’s hard for some to find the motivation to take up riding a bike<\/a>. Weather<\/a> and safety<\/a> play a role in limiting the appetite so adding worries about security to this is an unhelpful addition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Those who travel by bike<\/a> – commuting and otherwise<\/a> – should brush up on some essential security tips to ensure that the chances of their ride being stolen are reduced. The evidence from the global pandemic points towards the surge in riding was matched by a spike in theft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Police information states that bike theft crime is mainly opportunist. There are hundreds of bikes to choose from in most cities and compared to say, cars, or open windows to apartments, the risk and complication involved in stealing bikes is minimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cynical as it may sound, by making your own bike more difficult to steal than the one next to it, you reduce the chance of the thief taking yours. Find an area with CCTV, or locking ports where you can lock frame and wheels to the bike. And do not assume an unlocked bike will be safe when you are in the shop and can see it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s encouraging to see cities like Manchester in the UK operating bike hubs where you are more likely to see your bike after work or study than if you left it on the street. Commuters and irregular users of bikes should be given more information about these and general tips about lowering the chance of theft. It seems that many commuters who would come in on their bikes are put off by the lack of adequate storage being offered by their workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A public locking-shed provides useful tips on locking and bike registration (Image credit: Kevin Glenton)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nBike Theft Statistics <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A regular sight across cities – another lock might mean coming back to a complete bike (Image credit: Kevin Glenton)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow Many Bikes Are Stolen Each Year?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Statistics for Bicycle Theft<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How Often Do Bikes Get Stolen?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Bike Theft Statistics by City<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A public cycle hub deep inside a city centre car park (Image credit: Kevin Glenton)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
This hub opens via a keycode entry, has showers and a changing facility (Image credit: Kevin Glenton)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
Bicycle Theft in Bike-Friendly Cities [STATS]<\/h2>\n\n\n
Bike theft per 100,000 of population in 2022 from top-10 most bike-friendly cities in the world.
Source: Luko Global Bicycle Cities Index (Image credit : Kevin Glenton)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Bike Theft Capital of the World<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A visible locking hub in a visible public plaza provides multiple locking points (Image credit: Kevin Glenton)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow Likely is a Bike to Get Stolen?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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This locking pod in a public space reduces the chance of theft but the top-tube bag is an easy target! (Image credit: Kevin Glenton)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
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Talking Points<\/h2>\n\n\n\n