TWO in three victims of car vandals were targeted by someone they knew, from a disgruntled workmate to an angry neighbour, according to industry research. But the most common culprits of vehicle vandalism in the UK are ex-partners out for revenge.
Around eight million British motorists have seen paintwork keyed or other damage to their vehicle at some point in their lives, said the study by insurance giant Direct Line.
But two-thirds (64 per cent) were deliberately targeted by someone they had upset. In 14 per cent of all cases of damage, the vandal is an ex of the owner, from the cheated wife to the jealous boyfriend.
The second most common case of vehicle damage is by those targeting cars belonging to their current boss, possibly over a missed promotion or a dressing-down at work.
And the third most likely scenario is that the motor was vandalised by someone in the same road over some local dispute.
Almost half of all cases of vandalism (46 per cent) happen outside the victim’s home and the most common type of incident is scratched paintwork (45 per cent of cases). Damaged wing mirrors, smashed windows and snapped car aerials are all common and 5 per cent of cases relate to graffiti scrawled on the car, said Direct Line.
Simon Henrick, of Direct Line Car Insurance, said: “We tend to perceive those who vandalise our cars as strangers. We rarely believe that it could be a neighbour or much less a work colleague. The impact of vandalism is huge, as eight million drivers surveyed have suffered from the distress and inconvenience of someone damaging their car, not to mention the cost to repair their vehicle.”
The average damage caused costs £350 to repair, said the research.