January 14, 2008

Motorists in the dark about car theft

If you thought that parking your car in a well-lit area might distract a potential thief, then think again. Claims data from leading low cost car insurance provider Budget Direct shows the most popular time of day for cars to be stolen in 2007 was between 6am and Midday.

The data, which was gathered over a twelve-month period, further reveals that almost half of all vehicle thefts reported (44%) occur within close proximity to home and in all Australian states the Holden Commodore is still the most common vehicle reported stolen closely followed by the Hyundai Excel and Ford Falcon.

CEO of Budget Direct, Michael Weston, said that increased security on new model vehicles is certainly a deterrent for opportunistic car thieves, although car theft in Australia is still a major concern.

"Older models are often a target for thieves as they don't have the security that newer vehicles do," Mr Weston said.

"I would suggest that everyone has a car alarm or immobiliser fitted as not only will it make your car more secure, but it can also reduce your insurance premium."

"Car theft is an inconvenience on all accounts and when purchasing car insurance consumers should enquire about car hire options in case of a theft," he said.

National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council says that a car is stolen every eight minutes with over 70,000 vehicles stolen each year. In Australia around three quarters of stolen cars are taken for joyriding, to commit another crime or simply to get somewhere.

Some tips to help reduce the chances of your car being stolen:

• Install an engine immobiliser/car alarm
• Lock all doors and wind up all windows so the vehicle is secure
• Don't leave any valuable items in view
• Secure vehicle in a garage if possible
• Don't leave keys in the ignition if the vehicle is unattended