Last year, a vehicle was reported stolen once every 45 seconds in the United States, according to the Des Plaines, Illinois-based National Insurance Crime Bureau.
And one out of every eight thefts was a pretty simple for the thief. There was a theft every six-and-a-half minutes where the driver left the keys or fob inside.
It's a growing problem. The 57,096 thefts in 2015 amounted to a 22 percent increase over the previous year, according to the latest report from the NICB. Over the past three years, this kind of theft grew by 31 percent.
Numbers may be higher
Since many people don't admit to leaving their car unlocked with the keys or fob inside, the actual numbers of thefts with the keys left in vehicles may be considerably higher than the report indicates.
"Anti-theft technology has had a tremendous impact on reducing thefts over the past 25 years, but if you don't lock it up, it's not going to help," said NICB President and CEO Joe Wehrle. "Complacency can lead to a huge financial loss and inconvenience for the vehicle owner. Leaving a vehicle unlocked or with the key or fob inside gives a thief the opportunity to take not only the car, but also any possessions inside. It can also provide access to your personal information if the registration is left in the glove compartment.
"We have reports from our law enforcement partners that car thieves have stolen the car, driven it to the residence and burglarized the home before the owner even knew the vehicle was missing."
Fall/winter months see spike
From 2013 to 2015, thefts of vehicles with keys increased overall with thefts spiking in the fall/winter months each year. When looking at theft totals for the days of the week, Saturdays topped the list during the period of analysis with 22,081 thefts in all, followed by Monday (21,851) and Friday (21,652).
Here are the top 10 metro areas that had the most vehicle thefts with keys from 2013 to 2015:
(Photo: iStock)
10. Cleveland-Elyria
Auto thefts with keys: 2,634.
(Photo: iStock)
9. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood
Auto thefts with keys: 2,810.
(Photo: iStock)
8. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Auto thefts with keys: 2,997.
(Photo: iStock)
7. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Auto thefts with keys: 3,087.
A street in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. (Photo: iStock)
6. New York City-Newark-Jersey City
Auto thefts with keys: 3,095.
(Photo: iStock)
5. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Auto thefts with keys: 3,365.
Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. (Photo: iStock)
4. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Fla.
Auto thefts with keys (2013-2015): 3,847.
(Photo: iStock)
3. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Rosewell
Auto thefts with keys: 4,118.
Gratiot Avenue in Detroit. (Photo: iStock)
2. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
Auto thefts with keys: 4,380.
The Las Vegas strip. (Photo: iStock)
1. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise
Auto thefts with keys: 7,815.
Advice for drivers from the NICB:
- Lock the vehicle, set the alarm and take all keys or fobs.
- Don't leave the garage door opener in the vehicle.
- Take a picture of your registration on your cell phone and don't leave the registration or other papers with personal information in the vehicle.
- Never leave a car unlocked and running to warm it up or while stopping for a quick errand. It only takes a moment for the opportunistic thief to jump inside and drive off.
Here's a handy infographic from NICB to share with clients about the increase in vehicle thefts where keys were left inside, to share with clients:
(Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau)
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.