Stats on Auto Theft can Help You Avoid Being a Victim

  • January 30, 2018
  • Scott at LoJack
Auto Theft Statistics

If you’ve been keeping up with LoJack, you already know that over 700,000 cars are stolen every year, according to the FBI Uniform Crime Report and over 90% of LoJack-equipped cars, trucks and SUVs are recovered, often within hours. Here are a few more interesting facts about auto theft. According to Pew Research, only 13% of regular car thefts result in an arrest.

According to the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report, a car is stolen every 41.2 seconds.

According to car thieves, often they are stealing cars for a quick profit, and include common car makes such as Ford, Honda, Toyota, Acura, BMW, and GM vehicles. Parts from those models are in demand for resale, too, making them attractive targets. By the way, the most commonly resold part is airbags, which bring in about $1000 new but can be sourced from a car thief for only $150-$200 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

 

Know your Surroundings; Thieves Shop Where You Shop

People often think that their neighborhood is safe, but visit higher risk areas like shopping malls and parking garages, where thieves can go “shopping” for the right make and model. Owners don’t always take advantage of simple barriers, but they need to, especially in these types of shopping areas for thieves.  According to the IACP (PDF), a shocking 50% of stolen cars are unlocked at the time of the theft, and 1 in 8 have keys left inside, according to Money magazine. Drivers leave a wallet or purse in plain sight 25% of the time.

As vehicle security systems become more sophisticated, car thieves are starting to stage home break-ins to steal the keys instead. By the way, if you leave your keys in the car, the thief may be charged with joyriding, a misdemeanor, rather than car theft, which is a felony. A surprising percentage of cars are stolen with the keys inside. If you thought that hiding the keys inside the car was a good idea, think again.  Car thieves know all the hiding spots for keys, in case you didn’t know.

Hopefully, auto theft will never happen to you—and if it does, make sure you’re prepared. LoJack has a list of steps you can take if your car is stolen.  Don’t forget to see how the LoJack System did in 2017 – over $134 Million worth of vehicles equipped with the LoJack System were recovered in 2017.