Halloween Doesn’t Spook Thieves – Ranked No. 1 Holiday for Car Thefts

PHOENIX, Oct. 28, 2013 – Along with other scary characters, the streets will be teeming with would-be car thieves this Halloween. Inilex®, a leading provider of automotive telemetry solutions, warns car owners that Halloween is the busiest holiday for auto thefts, according to data analyzed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
 
In 2011, the last year for which data is available, 2,328 cars were reported stolen in the United States on Halloween. New Year’s Day was second on the list with 2,286 reported vehicle thefts. Overall, U.S. auto thefts rose in 2012 for the first time in eight years. 
 
Victims of car theft, even those with quality insurance, can expect to pay more than $8,000 in out-of-pocket costs associated with their deductibles, lost personal items, loaner vehicles and other fees, as depicted in this infographic, “The Real Cost of Car Theft.” As such, it is imperative that motorists either prevent a theft or recover their stolen vehicles as quickly as possible.
 
“There are several reasons why Halloween has crept to the top of the list for holiday thefts,” said Michael Maledon, CEO of Inilex. “For one, people tend to leave their cars in foreign locations overnight and take cabs home after enjoying themselves at Halloween parties. They also inadvertently forget to lock their doors while they’re trick or treating with their kids, or even leave their cars running unattended as they duck into the store for party supplies.”
 
Inilex offers these five tips to help protect car owners from Halloween thievery:
 

1. Take a cab both to and from your Halloween party, rather than leaving your car at your destination and cabbing it home. A car left overnight is an open invitation to lurking thieves.
2. Many families park their cars in different neighborhoods to take their kids trick or treating, to haunted houses or to other Halloween-related events. If you’re leaving your car in a foreign location, make sure to park in a well-lit, populated area, such as a busy parking lot. Not only is this safer for your car, but it is also safer for you walking to and from it.
3. Double check that your doors are locked, windows are rolled up and do not leave an extra key in or around your car. If you plan to leave your car parked in front of your house for a long period of time while you’re away, make plans for a neighbor to periodically check on it.
4. Do not store anything of value in your car or, at a minimum, keep it in the trunk or out of sight. Not only is it an open invitation for crooks, but most car insurance won’t cover these items if they’re stolen.
5. Install a GPS-enabled device that can instantly track your car. If your vehicle is stolen, you want the ability to find it immediately so the thief can be caught and your car can be recovered before it’s stripped. As a bonus, most insurance companies will offer a discount on your insurance premium if your vehicle is equipped with a theft-recovery device.

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Rebecca Scanlan

Media Contact

Four Corners Communications

rebecca.scanlan@fourcornerscomm.com