The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has released stolen auto statistics for 2010. And, the West Coast holds all of the top-ten positions. Eight of the top-ten positions are in California and the remaining two in Washington. The "garage location" of a vehicle figure prominently into the insurance premium rate charged for commercial auto insurance and your company's fleet location makes this study important for insurance rate comparison purposes.
Fresno, California led the list with 7,559 car thefts in 2010. Put in perspective, that's about 21 cars per day.
Location can make a substantial difference; the Cleveland, Ohio, metropolitan area is 82nd on the list with more than 5,000 vehicle thefts. But, just to the west of this area, the Sandusky, Ohio, metropolitan area is 334th on the list with 52 vehicle thefts in 2010. Which metropolitan area would you guess receives lower auto premiums?
While moving a business or vehicle fleet is not usually a viable option, the four "layers of protection" suggested by the NCIB are simple steps to implement:
- Common Sense - remove keys, park in well-lit areas, and lock the doors.
- Warning Devices - vehicle alarms emitting an audible alarm, warning stickers, identify the vehicle as "protected" and cause thieves to move on.
- Immobilizing Devices - these devices cut power or fuel to the vehicle immobilizing it.
- Tracking Devices - GPS and telemetry devices are effective in helping authorities locate and recover a stolen vehicle.
Overall, the FBI crime data reviewed by the NCIB showed a 7.2% drop in vehicle theft. So, the news is positive overall, and, with implementation of "layers of protection" vehicle theft can be decreased even further.
Do you know a source for Canadian statistics
Yes. Although it appears the latest stats are from 2009: look at http://www.statcan.gc.ca
Sadly, crime rates also affect business insurance rates, so if you do business in a one of these areas, you’ll pay more for your commercial liability policies as well.