Is your car safer parked in the dark or directly under a streetlight?

Based on the advice of the Dutch police and our own experience, we would say under a streetlight.

Surprisingly, British research found that car thefts fell by 44% when streetlights were switched off between midnight and 05:00. The research team analysed nine years of data on various crimes at four locations in Great Britain where street lighting had been substantially changed. It examined the relationship between vehicle break-ins in public parking areas with streetlights and those without them.

According to the researchers, thieves deliberately choose cars parked in the light because their contents are clearly visible and stealing vehicle parts is easier. A torch might solve that problem for thieves in the dark, but using one arouses suspicion, looks unusual and can be seen from a considerable distance.

A surprising finding, published in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology, that gives food for thought!

Source: Journal of Quantitative Criminology