Vehicle Thieves Rarely Take a Holiday

New Year's Day and Halloween See Most Theft Activity

DES PLAINES, Ill., Dec. 28, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Once again, New Year's Day was the leading holiday for reported vehicle thefts in 2009, according to an analysis by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Christmas Day repeats as the holiday with the fewest reported vehicle thefts.

While Americans are enjoying the holidays and most have time off from work, we need to remember that holidays are just another day at the shop for vehicle thieves.  For the 11 holidays reviewed in 2009, a total of 22,991 vehicles were reported stolen compared with a total of 24,676 reported for those same days in 2008.

Although vehicle thefts have been declining for six consecutive years—with preliminary 2010 FBI theft data pointing to a seventh year—we must maintain our vigilance.  There is always a black market for items obtained by theft, and vehicles remain popular theft targets.

The full report is available at: www.nicb.org//File%20Library/Public%20Affairs/2008-2009-Holiday-Theft-Analysis.pdf.

The holidays ranked by number of thefts reported to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) in 2009 were:

The NICB reminds drivers to be alert during the busy holiday season. That includes parking in well-lit areas, keeping packages in the trunk or out of sight, and making sure your vehicle is locked while it's parked.

About the National Insurance Crime Bureau: Headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the NICB is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft through information analysis, investigations, training, legislative advocacy and public awareness.  The NICB is supported by nearly 1,100 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $319 billion in insurance premiums in 2009, or more than 78 percent of the nation's property/casualty insurance. That includes more than 93 percent ($151 billion) of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more visit www.nicb.org.

SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau