Worst insurance theft losses are for Mercedes model; two of three with worst theft losses are Acura models

ARLINGTON, VA - June 14, 2000

The Mercedes S class, a very large luxury car, heads the list of passenger vehicles with the highest insurance losses for theft. Overall losses for this car are 10 times higher than the average for all passenger cars. This is the first time in five years that a utility vehicle hasn't topped the list of vehicles with the worst theft losses, which are published annually by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).

"The Mercedes S class has appeared on the 10 worst list for 5 years. It's obviously an attractive target for professional thieves because of its value," says Kim Hazelbaker, HLDI senior vice president.

The two-door Acura Integra has the second worst result, with losses also 10 times higher than the average among 1997-99 passenger vehicles. These high overall losses are produced by different factors, Hazelbaker explains. The Mercedes has extremely high average loss payments per claim, while the Acura's claim frequency is very high. The four-door Integra has the third highest overall theft loss result. Now Honda, which manufactures Acura's, has equipped all Integra's for the 2000 model year with passive immobilizing antitheft devices.

During the 1980-99 model years, theft claim frequencies have declined significantly, but this trend has been mostly offset by increasing theft losses per claim. In 1999, the last year for which information is available, the average theft loss payment per claim also declined.

http://www.hldi.org



      


VEHICLES AT RISK FOR THEFT IN PORT AND BORDER COMMUNITIES

NEW FILM "GONE IN 60 SECONDS" RAISES AWARENESS OF AUTO THEFT PROBLEM

PALOS HILLS, IL - Nearly 40 percent of all vehicle thefts occur in or near ports and border communities - with close to 19 percent stolen in the greater Los Angeles area, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
The NICB analysis reported that close to 450,000 cars and trucks were stolen countrywide in metropolitan areas with ports or close to international borders in 1998.
Each year more than 200,000 vehicles are exported illegally from the United States. Many of these were stolen in port and border communities, according to NICB.
"More and more vehicles are being targeted for export by thieves who sneak them out through ports and across borders," said Robert Bryant, president and chief executive officer of NICB, the insurance industry's theft and fraud fighting organization.
"People who live in these areas should take special care to protect their cars and trucks from thieves." The Los Angeles area was by far the prime target with more than 65,000 thefts. The top ten areas with port facilities or near international borders that recorded the greatest number of vehicle thefts were:

1. Los Angeles (65,243 vehicles stolen)
2. New York (46,709)
3. Philadelphia (30,355)
4. Phoenix (29,868)
5. Houston (28,263)
6. Miami (20,977)
7. Riverside/San Bernardino (19,821)
8. San Diego (18,685)
9. Seattle (18,304)
10. Oakland (17,293) (Metropolitan Areas)

"Law enforcement agencies have helped bring auto theft down about 5 percent nationally," said Bryant. "They've done a terrific job." But the first line of defense against vehicle theft is the owner, he said. NICB recommends a layered approach to protecting vehicles. There are four layers of protection to consider: common sense - removing the keys and locking the doors; visible and audible devices - steering wheel locks or alarms; immobilizing devices - smart keys or kill switches; and tracking devices. "The number of layers a vehicle needs depends on the vehicle and the geographic location," said Bryant. "Budget and personal preference should also determine which anti theft device to choose." The National Insurance Crime Bureau is a nonprofit organization supported by approximately 1,000 insurance and self-insured companies dedicated to fighting insurance-related crime. Footnote: Figures are based on MSAs as reported to the FBI Uniform Crime Report.
http://www.nicb.org


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