Hiplok reveals university bicycle crime rates in the UK

With students now back at university, bicycle security brand Hiplok has looked into bicycle crime rates at the UK’s top 30 universities by combining university postcodes and data sourced from Police.uk. The report allows students to see which institutions had the biggest problem with bikes being stolen between May 2016 and May 2017.

Oxford University, which ranks second in the UK league table was shown to have the highest number of bike thefts, with 932 reported between May 2016 and May 2017. Cambridge University, which tops the university league tables, claimed second place for bike thefts with 669 reported thefts, closely followed by York University in third with 435 and Sheffield University with 340. Other universities that made the top 10 include Birmingham, Newcastle, Loughborough, UCL and Southampton.

With cycling becoming increasingly popular in the UK, and it being a cheap and convenient way for students to get around town, the importance of keeping bikes safe is seen to be greater than ever. The increase in usage of bikes around town in term time means that bike theft is a cause for concern. Rather than hiding bikes away, Hiplok notes that it’s important that bike security is discussed and highlighted so that measures can be made to reduce bike theft and that ‘we are educating the public to take simple measures to help to deter opportunistic bike thieves’.

Francesca Smith from Hiplok said “Cycling is one of the top choices for value-conscious students to get around town while at uUniversity. We were shocked to see the quantity of bikes being stolen at the UK’s top universities and would encourage students to follow some straightforward tips to keep their bike secure.”

No single bike lock can guarantee to ward off a determined and well-equipped thief. So, depending on the value placed on a bike, Hiplok adds that it pays to protect it as much as possible. ‘It is advisable to use a good quality chain or D lock, such as the Hiplok D lock.’

Top 30 University Bike Theft Hotspots

Further tips that can help deter opportunistic bike thieves are:

• Always use a good quality chain or D lock
• Lock a bike in the most visible and populated area possible
• Position the lock so it is awkward for a thief to attack
• Lock or take away anything that can easily be removed, e.g. lights or quick release wheels
• Insure a bike and register keys

Data was taken from Police.uk using the top 30 universities as listed on the Complete University Guide. University postcodes were also taken from the Complete University Guide. Scotland data was not available.

www.hiplok.com