Smart Safety - Vehicle Thefts

 The United States continues to be plagued by near-record levels of vehicle thefts, according to a new report released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the insurance industry’s not-for-profit association dedicated to predicting, preventing, and prosecuting insurance crime. The report showed that nearly 500,000 vehicles were reported stolen nationwide in the first half of 2023, marking an increase of more than two percent compared to the first half of 2022. Illinois represented the largest increase in vehicle thefts of any state at 38 percent, followed by New York with a 20 percent increase and Ohio with a 15 percent increase over the first half of 2022. The report was released to coincide with National Crime Prevention Month, which shines a spotlight on crime prevention and personal safety every October.

“Vehicle thefts increased to near-record highs in the United States last year, and unfortunately, current trends indicate total thefts this year may surpass 2022,” said NICB President and CEO David J. Glawe.  “With little deterrent to stop these criminal actors, law enforcement agencies and communities will continue to suffer.”

Analyzing data from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), NICB’s report showed that between January and July 2023, vehicle thefts totaled more than 80,000 thefts per month and peaked in May with 87,993 vehicles reported stolen to law enforcement. 

The top 10 states with the highest rates of vehicle theft for the first half of 2023 were:

*Law enforcement agencies may still be entering thefts for the first half of 2023, so these numbers may change.

“The good news is there are several proactive and commonsense steps consumers can take to help deter vehicle theft, including the most important, which is to never leave your keys or key fob in the car,” said Glawe. “Always lock the doors and roll up your windows and never leave valuables in plain sight; instead place them in your trunk or out of sight.”

For additional tips or information, visit www.NICB.org.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL INSURANCE CRIME BUREAU: Headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to combatting and preventing insurance crime through Intelligence, Analytics, and Operations; Education and Crime Prevention; and Strategy, Policy, and Advocacy. NICB is supported by more than 1,200 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $582 billion in insurance premiums in 2021, or more than 82% of the nation's property-casualty insurance. That includes more than 96% of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more, visit www.nicb.org.