Across the U.S., vehicle theft totals are approaching near record highs and new analysis by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) indicates these trends show no signs of slowing down.
Vehicle theft data, provided by the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and analyzed by NICB, indicates more than 745,000 vehicles have been stolen in the first three quarters of 2022, with more than 250,000 having been reported to law enforcement since the end of June.
This is a 24% increase compared to this same time period in 2019. If this trend continues, totals could exceed 1 million stolen vehicles nationally by the end of the year and surpass pre-pandemic highs by more than 100,000 stolen vehicles.
"The year may be coming to an end, but criminals are not going on winter break," said David Glawe, president and CEO of the NICB. "Even as temperatures drop, vehicle owners everywhere need to know that the criminals are still on the hunt."
Vehicle thefts in the U.S. are the highest they have been since 2008.
According to previous analysis by the NICB, vehicle thefts tend to increase in the last three months of the year during the holiday season. If history repeats itself once again, the U.S. will see thefts trending around yearly highs through the end of the year.
"Remember, practicing good security hygiene is an easy and effective first step all of us can take to protect ourselves and our vehicles," said Glawe. "Don't leave your car running and unattended. Always take your keys with you and most importantly, make sure your auto policy is up to date. It is that simple."
Should your vehicle be stolen, call law enforcement and your insurer immediately. Reporting a vehicle as soon as possible after it is stolen increases the chance of recovery.
If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, call the NICB at 1-800-TEL-NICB. For additional information, visit NICB's website, www.NICB.org.
Source: NICB
