Car insurance in South West
Where you live and park is one of the factors insurers use to price car insurance, alongside your age and experience, the car, your mileage and your claims history. (MoneyHelper) Here is how South West compares with the rest of England on the public figures linked to car insurance claims.
At a glance
South West recorded 33.2 vehicle crimes per 10,000 people (year ending March 2026), 33% lower than England (49.8). That is the lowest of 9 areas in England.
The local figures
Vehicle crime
33.2 per 10,000 people
33% lower than England (49.8)
The lowest of 9
Vehicle crime recorded by the police. Theft claims are one of the costs insurers price for. Police-recorded vehicle offences: theft of and from vehicles, aggravated vehicle taking and interfering with a vehicle. Recorded under the Home Office Counting Rules, which differ from Scotland's, so compare only with other areas in England and Wales.
year ending March 2026 · Home Office: Police recorded crime, Community Safety Partnership open data tables
Road casualties
196 per 100,000 people
About the same as England (201)
4th lowest of 9
People injured or killed in collisions reported to the police. Counted where the collision happened, not where the person lives. Small areas can swing a lot from year to year.
2025 · Department for Transport: Road Safety Data (STATS19), 2025
Households without a car or van
16.8%
29% lower than England (23.5%)
The lowest of 9
From the census. Shows how much the area relies on cars; it is context, not something insurers price on.
Census 2021 · ONS: Census 2021, TS045 Car or van availability
What this means for your premium
These figures describe the area, not you. Insurers use their own data to price risk, and where you live is one input among many, so two drivers on the same street can be quoted very differently. A higher local theft or casualty rate doesn't mean your premium will be higher; it shows the kind of claims insurers in this area have to cover.
What you can control: the cover level, your excess, security, where the car is kept overnight, and telling your insurer the truth about all of it. A wrong answer about where the car is kept can invalidate a claim.
Our car insurance guide explains each factor.
Council areas in South West
| Area | Vehicle crime per 10,000 people | Road casualties per 100,000 people | Households without a car or van % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol, City of | 97.6 | 170 | 26.2% |
| Cheltenham | 66.1 | 125 | 20.1% |
| Gloucester | 46.7 | 149 | 20.2% |
| North Somerset | 37.0 | 159 | 15.0% |
| South Gloucestershire | 34.9 | 173 | 12.3% |
| Bath and North East Somerset | 34.7 | 124 | 19.9% |
| Swindon | 31.1 | 208 | 19.3% |
| Plymouth | 30.1 | 185 | 24.9% |
| Torbay | 27.0 | 146 | 23.2% |
| Somerset | 25.4 | 194 | 14.0% |
| Stroud | 24.6 | 135 | 11.9% |
| Cotswold | 24.0 | 289 | 11.0% |
| Exeter | 23.4 | 164 | 25.4% |
| Tewkesbury | 21.8 | 194 | 11.5% |
| Wiltshire | 20.3 | 278 | 13.1% |
| Forest of Dean | 15.9 | 165 | 12.2% |
| Cornwall | 15.5 | 204 | 15.0% |
| Isles of Scilly | 4.3 | 87 | 41.8% |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | n/a | 188 | 19.4% |
| Dorset | n/a | 228 | 13.7% |
| East Devon | n/a | 219 | 13.6% |
| Mid Devon | n/a | 220 | 13.1% |
| North Devon | n/a | 201 | 17.0% |
| South Hams | n/a | 233 | 11.7% |
| Teignbridge | n/a | 217 | 14.4% |
| Torridge | n/a | 176 | 13.7% |
| West Devon | n/a | 285 | 12.1% |
Sources and method
- Home Office: Police recorded crime, Community Safety Partnership open data tables OGL v3.0
- Department for Transport: Road Safety Data (STATS19), 2025 OGL v3.0
- ONS: Census 2021, TS045 Car or van availability OGL v3.0
- ONS: Population estimates for the UK, mid-2025 OGL v3.0 · population used for the rates
- MoneyHelper: Car insurance, what you need to know
Rates are worked out from the published counts and the area's population. Areas are council areas as defined by the Office for National Statistics. Boundaries: Office for National Statistics, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. How we work.