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Is Your Car At the Top of Thieves' Shopping Lists?

18 October 1999

Is Your Car At the Top of Thieves' Shopping Lists?

    LOS ANGELES--Oct. 18, 1999--If consumers have a craving for a particular car, it's likely that thieves do, too.
    A new study from the National Insurance Crime Bureau found that Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords remain the top cars targeted by thieves, but, much like sales trends, mini-vans, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks are gaining popularity among thieves.
    In fact, they now represent four of the top 10 most commonly stolen automobiles.
    "Auto thieves target the most popular vehicles because they can make the most money off their stolen parts," said Candysse Miller, regional director for the Western Insurance Information Service. Though popular vehicles vary by city, the top ten stolen vehicles nationally in 1998 were:

1.       Honda Accord
2.       Toyota Camry
3.       Chevrolet Full-Size Pickup (C/K)
4.       Jeep SUV (Cherokee/Grand Cherokee)
5.       Honda Civic
6.       Oldsmobile Cutlass
7.       Ford Full-Size Pickup (F-Series)
8.       Ford Mustang
9.       Dodge Caravan
10.      Toyota Corolla

    A vehicle is stolen every 23 seconds in the United States. These automobiles are then stripped and used for parts, vandalized or destroyed. Almost one-third are never recovered.
    There are simple steps car-owners can take to reduce the chances of having their cars nabbed by thieves. WIIS recommends that motorists always remove the keys from the ignition and vehicle, lock the doors, close the windows, hide valuable items, park in well-lit areas and use a combination of anti-theft devices. A recent study found that cars equipped with steering wheel locks were four times less likely to have their vehicle stolen.
    "Motorists driving theft-prone vehicles need to take additional steps such as installing a visible deterrent like a steering wheel lock, an alarm, a starter or fuel disabler and a tracking device," said Ed Sparkman, senior manager-vehicle support of the NICB. "The more layers of protection on your vehicle, the more difficult it is to steal."
    The Western Insurance Information Service is a non-profit and non-lobbying media relations organization supported by the property/casualty insurance industry. WIIS has spokespeople to discuss this and other insurance issues, for more information or to schedule an interview call 800/397-1679.