More cars are being stolen with keys already inside, report says
A new report finds a growing number of cars are being stolen with the keys already inside.
You might want to leave your car running while you quickly grab a cup of coffee, but U.S.-based National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) said despite overall car thefts decreasing, a total of 126,603 vehicles were stolen between 2012 and 2014 with keys left inside.
“Stealing a vehicle is very difficult with today’s anti-theft technology and leaving the keys in the vehicle is an open invitation for the opportunistic car thief,” NICB president and chief executive Joe Wehrle said.
In 2012, 39,345 — or 5.4 per cent — of vehicles stolen in the U.S. had their keys in them. That figure climbed to six per cent — or 42,430 — in 2013 and last year was the highest at 44,828 vehicles, or 6.7 per cent.
“Am I shocked by these numbers? Not one bit,” Wehrle said.
In fact, I’m sure the numbers are probably higher because we are only able to determine the thefts where the car was recovered with the keys inside, or when someone admitted they left the keys in the car or the ignition.
“Many times that is not admitted in the police report or the insurance claim.
“We also see some cases where the owner gives up the car by leaving the keys in it to allow it to be stolen so that an insurance claim payment can help them get out from under a financial bind. Anyone who does that is committing fraud.”
Last year, an estimated 659,717 cars were reported stolen in the U.S.
Subtracting the 44,828 thefts where the keys were already inside, the annual total falls to 614,889 vehicles — the lowest national total since 1966.