AUTOGLASS has launched a 'Cracking Car Crime' campaign after it revealed the cost of smash and grab attacks on company cars has more than doubled to £184 million in a year with a fleet vehicle being targeted by criminals every 100 seconds. The average cost of each attack has soared from £219 to £804 and, Autoglass's sixth annual car crime study reveals, that one in three victims had not set their car alarms.

Ian Carlisle, Autoglass managing director, said: 'There's an illusion that we've beaten car crime. We haven't. Crooks are becoming more successful, getting richer pickings and leaving empty handed on far fewer occasions. 'Company car drivers are paying the price for failing to remove valuables from their cars and not taking sufficient precautions against attack.'

The launch of the Autoglass campaign comes two weeks after a Lex Vehicle Leasing report - the Lex Guide to Vehicle Security for Fleet Managers - called on fleet managers to take a more active role in combating car crime, including the introduction of penalties for company car drivers whose vehicles are broken into or stolen. Company cars now represent 21% of all attacks on cars, compared to 16% last year. There are now 313,000 attacks on company vehicles each year.

The campaign aims to unite motorists, fleet companies, insurers and professional crime prevention bodies, under the banner 'share a solution, stop a crime', to apply solutions which police chiefs believe could halve the number of attacks. Key elements of the campaign include car crime prevention literature, national promotions offering car security makeovers, free glass security etchings and car-spotter radio broadcasts to help track stolen cars.