London has a problem, and if you ride a motorcycle in London, then that problem is your problem. That’s because thieves are stealing every motorcycle they can get their hands on in the U.K. capital. It is a nationwide problem and that problem could soon become a problem here in the U.S. too. Luckily, solutions could be on the horizon, and if the latest “test” by Zero Motorcycles is any indication, motorcycle thieves may need to consider a new career.
How Did Zero Motorcycles Solve the Moto Crime Wave?
Just how bad is the motorcycle theft problem in the U.K.? In 2017, James May—one of the three famous hosts of Amazon’s Grand Tour—wrote a sarcastic blog calling out Scotland Yard for not policing motorcycle thieves. Even Batman star Tom Hardy got into the act by tackling and apprehending a motorcycle thief. The problem prompted London mayor Sadiq Khan to call a summit where he asked manufacturers to, “design out motorcycle crime.” That may sound a little ridiculous, but considering the town’s dire straits, something must be done.
Around 14,000 motorbikes were stolen in 2017, and its looking like the trend is going to continue. Recently, Zero Motorcycles was about to conduct a test of some bikes when thieves broke into their van and stole the test mules. The company reported the theft to police as soon as the theft was discovered, then they proceeded to help the police track down the thieves.
As it would turn out, Zero had just signed a deal with anti-theft device company Datapool. The test that Zero was about to conduct was for the anti-theft devices provided by Datapool. The company merely revealed the coordinates of the stolen bikes to police who tracked them to a spot not far from the van they had been stolen from. The bikes were stored under a tarp.
This gives many security experts the hope that the wave of motorcycle thefts could soon be coming to an end, and not a moment too soon. Reports that motorcycle thefts in the U.S. are starting to go up is raising concerns that the crime wave could be catching. Hopefully, these new security efforts will head off this trend before it can get started in our country. The motorcycling attorneys of Metier Law Firm will continue to monitor the situation to keep you informed.