Latest news with #LexusES300
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Record
The major car brand most likely to be targeted by thieves with five models in UK top 10
While the Ford Focus is the most stolen vehicle in Britain, one make in particular was a more popular target for crooks. A luxury car brand is the most targeted by crooks in the UK. Its models account for half of the top 10 most stolen vehicles, according to the DVLA's latest statistics. Leapfrogging the previously favoured Range Rovers from Jaguar Land Rover is the Lexus. The driving agency's figures from 2024 documented over 61,000 stolen cars. The Ford Focus, which is the UK's most popular second-hand vehicle, had the most thefts overall, vehicles made by Lexus were targeted far more proportionately. In fact, owners of a Lexus ES 300 were much more likely to have their car nicked, with an incredible one in 30 of them being stolen by thieves. It was joined in the DVLA top 10 by the RX 450, LC 500, UX 250, and NX 300 models, as reported by the Mirror. In response to these alarming figures, Toyota, the parent company of Lexus, emphasised their significant investment in security measures. They said: 'Toyota GB has invested millions of pounds in a variety of security solutions. Our anti-theft measures form part of a nationwide customer care offering. 'For example, at a cost of more than £10million to Lexus, selected customers were provided with a free Tracker vehicle location service. 'As a result, a 96 per cent recovery rate has been achieved. We have subsequently rolled out Tracker installation as an option for buyers of certain models.' The latest figures may leave Lexus owners feeling uneasy, but they also shine a light on the strides Jaguar Land Rover has taken to secure their vehicles in recent times, marking them as some of the most secure cars in the nation. Clive Wain, head of police liaison at Tracker, a company aiding individuals in protecting their vehicles from theft, acknowledged in a separate statement the advancements made by the renowned British manufacturer. But he added that continuous efforts are necessary to stop stolen cars from being exported illegally from the UK. He said: "Lexus is making considerable efforts to protect its customers' cars but JLR suffered a rise in thefts sooner than it and so has had more time to react and develop solutions. "However, its cars are still being stolen. There is a thriving market overseas for Lexus, JLR and other premium vehicles and we recover many at docksides." Last month, we told motorists of a tip that could help them avoid having their car nicked - and it's all about where you place your keys. Thefts of keyless cars - vehicles that unlock automatically when the key is nearby - are on the rise in many areas, with roughly two-thirds of all stolen vehicles in England and Wales falling victim to this type of crime. Crooks can mimic the fob's signal by using a relay device if they're close by, tricking the car into unlocking itself and allowing anyone to drive off with it. The signals used by criminals are typically short-range radio waves, making it more challenging for criminals to capture the signal if the key is kept at a distance from the car. So if you keep your key away from doors or windows, especially those at the side of your home where the car is parked, then you give yourself the best chance of avoiding this criminal tactic. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Mirror
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
One popular car brand makes up half of the top 10 most stolen vehicles in UK
New data from the DVLA has revealed that the most stolen car by proportion of models available is now no longer the Range Rover Motorists have been told that one particular brand of car is proving more popular than anything else for thieves. While in the past thieves were targeting Range Rovers, produced by Jaguar Land Rover, new data has suggested they are now going after Lexus cars instead. Data from the DVLA, the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency, shows that five Lexus cars are in the top 10 cars most likely to be stolen. The DVLA assessed stolen car data from 2024, a year in which more than 61,000 cars were stolen, to come to the conclusion. Their data found that whilst the most stolen car was also the UK's most popular second-hand car, the Ford Fiesta, they noticed that cars made by Lexus made up a significant proportion of the thefts as opposed to sheer number. What this means in practice is that while the Ford Fiesta was the most stolen car by volume, in terms of proportion of thefts to vehicles produced it was much lower as a percentage. Their research, that ranks stolen cars as proportion of the total number registered, discovered that the Lexus ES 300 was the car most likely to be stolen in 2024 with one in 30 of the vehicles stolen. Other Lexus models included in the list were the Lexus RX 450, LC 500, UX 250 and NX 300, reports Autocar. Following the announcement of the results, a spokesperson for Toyota, who own Lexus, said: 'Toyota GB has invested millions of pounds in a variety of security solutions. Our anti-theft measures form part of a nationwide customer care offering. 'For example, at a cost of more than £10million to Lexus, selected customers were provided with a free Tracker vehicle location service. 'As a result, a 96% recovery rate has been achieved. We have subsequently rolled out Tracker installation as an option for buyers of certain models.' Although the new data is sad reading for those who may own a Lexus it demonstrates the progress made by Jaguar Land Rover to protect their cars in recent years, with the vehicles now some of the most protected in the country. In a separate statement, head of police liaison at Tracker Clive Wain added that while progress had been made by the British brand that there was still more work to be done to stop stolen cars leaving the country. He explained: 'Lexus is making considerable efforts to protect its customers' cars but JLR suffered a rise in thefts sooner than it and so has had more time to react and develop solutions. 'However, its cars are still being stolen. There is a thriving market overseas for Lexus, JLR and other premium vehicles and we recover many at docksides.'
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Yahoo
Mom Held Her Baby When Car Struck Them, Killing Infant and Toddler Brother While Leaving Mother in Coma
A 72-year-old Florida woman has been arrested in an alleged hit-and-run that killed two young children and left their mother in a coma with 'basically no brain function or response,' prosecutors allege. On Monday, Feb. 10, at about 8:30 p.m., Taeler Bennett, 29, was crossing a street in Sarasota with her 5-month-old son, Kiylan, in a baby carrier on her chest and pushing her 2-year-old son, Rio, in a stroller, when they were struck by a Lexus, police said in a statement. Bennett landed on top of the hood of the white Lexus ES300 and slammed into the windshield, shattering it, Assistant State Attorney Josha Wertheim said, Fox13 News reports. The driver 'fled the scene, failing to render aid or contact 911,' the Sarasota Police Department alleged in the statement. Police launched an investigation and on Monday, March 3, arrested June Fenton, of Sarasota. Fenton was charged with two counts of leaving the scene of a traffic crash resulting in a fatality and leaving the scene of a traffic crash resulting in serious injury. She was taken into custody and taken to the Sarasota County Jail where she remains held on a $650,000 bond, according to online jail records. At a hearing in court on Tuesday, March 4, Wertheim said that Fenton, a retired hospice worker, was out that night feeding stray cats when she allegedly struck the family, Fox 13 News reports. Prosecutors alleged that Bennett and her children had just started crossing the road and were "clearly visible' when they were struck by the car, News Channel 8 reports. Fenton continued driving southbound on U.S. 301 before circling back to the crash site, prosecutors said, according to News Channel 8. Bennett and the two children were lying in the middle of the road, surrounded by bystanders who were checking on them, according to prosecutors. Fenton allegedly drove off again, prosecutors said. Fenton's attorney, Derek Byrd, said in court that Fenton thought she had hit a dog, according to News Channel 8. 'She loves dogs, and when she circled back around to go see if it was a dog and she saw people standing around a dark place which she thought there may be a dog there,' Byrd said. 'She loves animals, she did not want to see the dog suffering, so she went home.' In a GoFundMe set up to help defray medical and rehabilitation costs, Hope McIntosh wrote that Bennett, her sister, who has two other children, remains in critical condition 'following a traumatic brain injury and the loss of our two precious boys.''Taeler is not just a mother — she is a sister, a daughter, a partner, and a beam of light,' she wrote. 'She has always put others before herself, and now she needs our help more than ever.' An obituary for the two boys says Rio, 2, 'loved trucks of every sort and size. He also enjoyed swimming, playing at the beach, digging in the dirt and being with his family.' Five-month-old Kiylan 'enjoyed rolling over, cuddling with his momma, laughing and interacting with his family,' it says. 'Rio and Kiylan brought so much joy and light to everyone they touched. They are deeply missed.' Read the original article on People
Miami Herald
12-02-2025
- Miami Herald
Toddler and infant killed when driver hits family and speeds away, Florida cops say
A baby and a 2-year-old were killed when a driver ran over a family as they crossed a busy Florida highway, according to investigators. The driver sped away and remains at large, the Sarasota Police Department said in a Feb. 11 news release. Identities of the victims have not been released, and the driver has not yet been identified. It happened around 8:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, as the family crossed the southbound lanes of U.S. 301 near 7th Street in Sarasota. The highway is five-lanes and lined with businesses, maps show. 'The victims of the crash, a 29-year-old woman, a 2-year-old, and a 5-month-old, were transported to area hospitals under trauma alerts. The two children have died as a result of their injuries and the woman remains in critical condition,' police said. Witnesses reported the driver continued southbound, made a U-turn then vanished eastbound on 7th Street, police said. The car is described as a white Lexus ES 300 (2013 to 2018 models) 'with damage to the right front quarter panel and windshield,' police said. Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche posted a video on social media reporting the mother is 'fighting for her life.' 'We are searching the area for any cameras, any type of security systems,' he said in the video. 'We're looking for everybody in the community to help us out with this. ... We want to bring closure to this and we want to make sure that person is put behind bars where they belong. They didn't stop and help that family.' Sarasota is about a 60-mile drive south from Tampa.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
Toddler, infant killed in Sarasota hit-and-run crash, mother in critical condition, police say
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — Sarasota police are searching for the driver who left the scene of a crash Monday night that left two children dead and a mother critically injured. The deadly crash happened around 8:30 p.m. near the intersection of U.S. 301 and 7th Street, a few blocks north of downtown. Woman left bloodied on I-275 after medical emergency leads to shooting: FHP The first officers on the scene learned the driver who crashed into a mother and her two young children didn't stop to help and instead, fled the scene. The vehicle police are searching for is described as a 2013-2018 white Lexus ES300. It is likely to have damage to its front right quarter panel, as well as its windshield. All three victims— a 29-year-old woman, a 2-year-old, and a 5-month-old were transported to area hospitals with traumatic injuries, according to police. The toddler and infant have since died from their injuries, while their mother remains hospitalized in critical condition. Witnesses said the woman was crossing the roadway pushing a stroller and carrying the baby in an infant carrier. She had just left the gas station at the intersection. 71-year-old seriously injures woman after backing into her at Publix in Dunedin Police say the suspect vehicle was last seen heading south on U.S. 301 making a U-turn in the area of 5th Street, before making an eastbound turn in the area of 7th Street. Police were seen canvassing the area near the crash Tuesday, searching for surveillance images. Anyone who may know the individual or have information on the vehicle involved in this crash is asked to contact the Sarasota Police Department Traffic Unit at 941-263-6094 or online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
