Car thefts surged in the 1970s and '80s, but the numbers have been falling since 1991's peak.
There may be far more cars on the road, but car theft has plunged 58% since 1991’s all-time high, according to newly released FBI data.
Increased law enforcement and enhanced automotive technology have combined to make it tougher on car thieves, though nearly 700,000 vehicles were still snatched in the U.S. last year.
Nonetheless, “It means that if you own a vehicle, your chances of having it stolen today are statistically and significantly less than at any other time since 1960,” according to a new analysis of the FBI data by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, or NICB.
The use of push-button starters and digital keys, as well as other advanced technologies have made it harder to break into and hot wire cars, while other new systems have made it possible to track and catch thieves, even if they do make off with your wheels.
“Put simply, cars are just more difficult to steal today than ever before and technology has made that possible,” said a statement from the NICB.
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Authorities, meanwhile, have targeted hot spots where car theft problems have been particularly severe. Federal prosecutors in the City of Detroit, for example, have cut carjackings by nearly two-thirds over the last several years through enhanced enforcement and by convincing courts to hand out tougher sentences, especially for repeat offenders.
There are today 14 separate statewide Auto Theft Prevention Authorities in operation around the country.
Car thieves have been at it since some of the first vehicles took to the road. And for decades, the number of thefts grew along with the overall U.S. vehicle population.
According to the NICB, there were 74,159,209 cars and trucks on the road in 1960, when 328,200 were stolen. By 1991, the vehicle count had surged to 192,548,972, while thefts hit an all-time record 1,661,738. The number of vehicles on the road jumped to 253,639,386 by 2013, but thefts fell to 699,594, a 58% decline from that peak.
Measured another way, in 1960 there were 182 vehicles stolen for every 100,000 U.S. citizens. By 1991 that had soared to 659 per 100,000 population. Last year, that dipped to 221 per 100,000.
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Nonetheless, car theft remains a problem, according to both the FBI and NICB. The crime bureau, meanwhile, is warning motorists to be way during the upcoming holiday season, with New Year’s Day traditionally one of the worst for motorists. In 2013, the year began with 2,184 vehicles stolen, just slightly below the year’s worst day for car thefts – 2,316 vehicles reported stolen on August 12.
The good news is that Christmas Day is traditionally one of the safest, in 2013 Americans reporting just 1,224 vehicles stolen, the lowest of any day last year.
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There are lies, damn lies and statistics…
The statistics are misleading as the increase in the number of cars sold is primarily what has lowered the theft percentage or ratio, not more secure vehicles per se. As has been demonstrated the crooks have already bypassed digital keys so they are no more secure than the Internet which is to say no security at all.
The recent addition of push buttons to start vehicles while really dumb and appealing to the clueless, might slow a criminal about three seconds longer than ripping the ignition switch assembly from the steering column. The reality is car theft is big business and it will continue to increase in volume just as car sales increase in volume. You can believe the statistics or you can believe your missing car that you reported stolen…
Few people want to admit the reality that the criminals have the upper hand as the authorities are outnumbered at least a million to one be it stolen vehicles or digital crimes.
Jorge,
First, while there have been demonstrations of hacking into keyless systems there is no statistical evidence this actually has happened on the street. Meanwhile, to your other point…car theft grew massively, concurrent with the huge growth in the American auto fleet from 1960 to 1991, when theft peaked. Any way you looked at it, theft was up: raw numbers or thefts/100,000 people or thefts/100,000 vehicles. Using those same three measurements, car thefts have fallen sharply since the peak. The raw numbers have fallen every year but 2012 when there was a very modest rise in overall thefts. But even then, measured by population or fleet size the number fell. And it was again down in 2013 by all possible measurements.
No matter whom I talk to, the indication is that new technology has made it more difficult than simply ripping out the ignition switch and hot-wiring the car. Disabler systems want the correct code or they simply won’t start. Meanwhile, SVRS systems have made it easier to track a car as it is being stolen and driven away.
That said, tougher enforcement — including tougher sentencing — has been critical. There appears to be a direct link to local, state and federal crackdowns, especially when career thieves, and the folks running rings, are locked up rather than quickly put back on the street. As I noted in the story, the push by the US attorney for Detroit targeting carjackings has begun to pay off, the numbers down by 2/3 — though still averaging over 1/day.
Paul A. Eisenstein
Publisher, TheDetroitBureau.com
Yes digital keys might make things more difficult but that doesn’t mean much to the Pros. My point was a push button starter button doesn’t deter thieves any more than a steering column mounted ignition tumbler assembly. Digital keys are not the solution by a long shot. In Europe they have been showing up with new ECMs and matching keys to steal cars. They just plug the components in and unlock the car and drive off because they know how to code the hardware just like the factory or when a dealership replaces the hardware.
All of the afore mentioned prevention methods are appreciated but they aren’t reducing the number of stolen vehicles significantly, just the percentage. Unfortunately consumers pay for it all – the technology and the theft.
Ummm, I can’t figure out your math, Jorge. In 1991, 1.7 mil vehicles were stolen in the U.S. Last year it was less than 700,000. That’s not just a percentage decline.
Paul E.