Tag Archives: Study

The FBI Says Motor Vehicle Thefts Rose 11.8 Percent Last Year

2020 was a year of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, but it appears criminals kept themselves pretty busy despite the coronavirus pandemic.

According to new statistics released by the FBI, motor vehicle thefts rose 11.8 percent in 2020 despite an 8.1 percent decline in overall property crime.

There’s no immediate explanation for the sudden increase in vehicle theft, but cars are pretty lucrative as they can be stripped for parts that can be sold for thousands of dollars. According to a study from the National Insurance Crime Bureau , a handful of the most frequently stolen 2016 model year vehicles have between 14 and 20 commonly replaced components that can easily be sold to unsuspecting buyers.

Also Read: Consumers Love Trucks And So Do Thieves As Ford F-Series Tops Most Stolen List

In the case of the 2016 GMC Sierra, that includes the headlamp assembly, the front bumper and a tailgate that are worth between $724 and $1,144. When all those common components are added up, they’re worth more than $21,000 and this makes the truck appealing to thieves who can easily sell parts on Craigslist, eBay and Facebook Marketplace.

Getting back to the latest data, the FBI says there were 727,921 “motor vehicle theft offense counts” last year. That’s up from 667,064 in 2019 and 712,236 in 2018. More strikingly, that’s the most reported since 2008. Of course, it’s worth noting all of the agencies eligible to participate in the Uniform Crime Reporting Program don’t send in their information, so the total picture isn’t completely clear.

Putting that caveat aside, there were 67,095 arrests for motor vehicle theft last year and most of them were males between the ages of 25 and 29. However, it is interesting to note there were six arrests of people under the age of 10 and 167 arrests of people 65 and older.

Average Age Of Vehicles In The U.S. Increases To 11.9 Years, And It Could Get Worse With COVID

The average age of vehicles on U.S. roads is on the rise, a new study from IHS Markit has revealed.

While analyzing the average age of vehicles, HIS Markit discovered it has increased to 11.9 years in 2020, a 24 per cent increase over the average age of 9.6 years from 2002. It is also well up on the average age of 10.3 years reported in 2009.

“A lot of it has to do with quality of the vehicles on the road,” aftermarket specialist with IHS Markit, Todd Campau, explained. “They are comfortable keeping that vehicle longer than they would in the past. In the mid-’90s, 100,000 miles was about all you would get out of a vehicle. Now, at a 100,000 miles a vehicle is just getting broken in.”

Read Also: Road Trips Set To Make Up 97% Of All Travel This Summer

The study revealed the average age of cars is already 12.4 years, while it currently sits at 11.6 years for light trucks.

IHS Markit believes that the coronavirus pandemic alone could see the average age of vehicles increase by four to six months as millions of people are now traveling less and working from home. Consequently, they are expected to hold on to their vehicles for longer. It is also reported that many consumers who may have been considering the purchase of a new vehicle are instead likely to continue driving their old car or trading it in for a used vehicle, Reuters reports.

“We definitely expect to eclipse the 12-year barrier,” added Campau. “IHS Markit anticipates significant upward pressure on average age in 2020 and subsequent years as consumers work toward a new normal both economically and in how they use their personal vehicles in a post-COVID-19 era.”

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