Someone stealing your car is a risk you take the moment you purchase one; the good news is that this kind of crime is on a steep decline, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Data obtained from the FBI show that in 2013, 699,594 cars were stolen in US. That’s a 58 percent decrease compared to 1991, when a record 1,661,738 vehicles were stolen.
What’s interesting is that car stealing is falling while the general population and the number of registered vehicles rose considerably. In 1991, car thieves stole 659 cars for every 100,000 Americans, while in 2013 that number fell to 221.3 cars for every 100,000 people.
While this isn’t the lowest rate in history, there are some factors that need to be taken into account. In 1962, 182 cars were stolen for every 100,000 people; but back then, there were just 4.1 vehicles registered to every 10 Americans. In 2012, that number had almost doubled, to 8.1 vehicles for every 10 people.
Moreover, the FBI data refers to every kind of vehicle referenced as such by the Federal Highway Administration, including heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and even buses. Thus, if we’re talking solely about cars, the 2013 number is an all-time low.
The NCIB cites improved factory anti-theft systems installed from the factory, those added by owners and an increase in the number of authorities that are investigating car theft.
A Cars.com study shows that where you live can make a difference. Using 2012 data, since 2013 weren’t yet available, the District of Columbia had the highest rate among all states, with 11.36 cars stolen per 1,000 registered vehicles. That’s way higher than second-place California, with 6.09 thefts per 1,000 registered vehicles, and third place Nevada, with a 4.7 rate.
On the opposite end of the scale, Maine, Idaho, New Hampshire, Wyoming and Vermont all had a rate of less than 1 theft for every 1,000 registered vehicles.
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