German car in demand by car thieves and burglars

The most popular car brand is…

Car insurer Univé also reports that the fewest burglary claims are reported from owners of a Daihatsu, Subaru or Suzuki. According to the insurer, calculated over the past four years, the probability of becoming a victim of a carjacking is 0.26%. Volkswagen is really the only exception. For that brand, Univé cites a rate of 0.44%. In almost 1 in 3 claims received by Univé in the past four years, a car of this make is reported missing.

Car theft: the differences by province

The figures show that car thieves are most active in Limburg, which recorded the highest percentage of theft claims from 2018 to 2021 with an average of 0.11%. In the same years, Groningen, Friesland, Overijssel and Zeeland had the lowest number of claims filed per insured at a rate of 0.01%.

Utrecht

At 0.62%, Utrecht policyholders sought contact with Univé’s claims service most often in percentage terms because of an unlocked car. In addition to Utrecht, Univé also recorded more reports of car burglaries in South Holland (0.47%) than elsewhere in the country, while North Brabant (0.40%) catches North Holland (0.38%) just outside the top 3.

What peace in Friesland

Car owners are safest from car burglars in Friesland, where with a burglary rate of 0.09%, the likelihood of a car burglary is almost seven times lower compared to leader Utrecht. Drenthe (0.11%) is also relatively more likely to be left alone by carjackers, which in addition give policyholders in Groningen and Overijssel (0.12%) less cause for concern than in the Randstad.

After corona crisis, increase in auto theft again

After Univé saw the number of claims from car thefts and burglaries drop during the corona pandemic, Johan Van den Neste, director of Univé Schade, says there has now been an increase again. “The number of reports over the past year is comparable to the same period in the pre-crisis years, indicating that car thieves and crackers are seeing their opportunity again now that we are no longer housebound.”

Van den Neste continues: “Car thieves prefer to operate quietly and unseen. So park your car in a busy or well-lit spot. And by emptying your glove box and leaving it open, you make it clear to burglars that there is nothing valuable in your car that makes it worth cracking.”