Vehicle Thieves Slow Down, but Never Take a Holiday

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Dec 18, 2012, 06:00 ET

Halloween Posts More Thefts, but New Year's Day Still Busiest Official Holiday for Vehicle Thieves

DES PLAINES, Ill., Dec. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In 2011, more than trick-or-treaters were active on Halloween as that was the busiest unofficial holiday for reported vehicle thefts. New Year's Day, however, is still the busiest official holiday according to analysis of National Crime Information Center (NCIC) vehicle theft data by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Christmas Day holds the dual distinction for having the lowest theft figure for a holiday and the lowest reported vehicle thefts of any day in 2011—1,347.

Excluding Christmas Day, February 2—Groundhog Day—posted the fewest vehicle thefts (1,491) of any other date in the year. The most active date for vehicle thefts was August 1 with 2,687 reported thefts.

For the 11 holidays reviewed in 2011, a total of 20,800 vehicles were reported stolen compared with a total of 22,991 reported for those same days in 2010.

Although the nation has enjoyed declining vehicle thefts for eight consecutive years, the risk from vehicle theft is still very real. There is always a black market for items obtained by theft, and vehicles remain popular theft targets.

The full report is available here.

The holidays ranked by number of thefts reported to the NCIC in 2011 were:

1. Halloween (2,328)

2. New Year's Day (2,286)

3. Memorial Day (2,005)

4. Labor Day (1,977)

5. New Year's Eve (1,947)

6. Valentine's Day (1,895)

7. Independence Day (1,862)

8. President's Day (1,830)

9. Christmas Eve (1,797)

10. Thanksgiving (1,526)

11. Christmas Day (1,347)

The NICB reminds drivers to be alert during the busy holiday season. That includes parking in well-lit areas, keeping packages in the trunk or out of sight, and making sure your vehicle is locked while it's parked.

About the National Insurance Crime Bureau: Headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the NICB is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft through data analytics, investigations, training, legislative advocacy and public awareness. The NICB is supported by more than 1,100 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $319 billion in insurance premiums in 2010, or approximately 80 percent of the nation's property/casualty insurance. That includes more than 94 percent ($152 billion) of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more visit www.nicb.org.

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SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau