FOR RELEASE ON:  May 31, 2000
FOR INFORMATION:  Mary Bonelli/Mitch Wilson: 614.228.1593
After hours: Mary/614.443.0400; Mitch/614.868.0575

STATEWIDE AUTO THEFTS CONTINUE DOWNWARD TREND

COLUMBUS - After being ousted as the Ohio city with the highest number of reported vehicle thefts in 1998, Cleveland regained the title with 7,410 reported stolen vehicles in 1999. Columbus, the city edging out Cleveland based on 1998 auto theft statistics, moved to the runner-up position with 6,822 stolen vehicles. Based on a 1999 city police department survey conducted by the Ohio Insurance Institute (OII), Clevelanders will also find their chances of becoming an auto theft statistic higher than anywhere else in the state, with one vehicle stolen for every 43 registered in the city.

According to OII survey results, the overall auto theft picture in Ohio continues its downward trend that started eight years ago. This is good news for Buckeye state vehicle owners who have a 1 in 278 chance of being a victim in auto theft, based on 1999 statistics. The study is based on a survey of 17 major Ohio city police departments regarding their 1999 auto theft experience. Based on survey findings, OII projects a slight drop (3.2%) in the number of statewide vehicle thefts between 1998 and 1999.

"The decline in statewide auto thefts began in 1992," said Daniel J. Kelso, OII president. "This seems to mirror the national auto theft trend that has been on the decline for the past seven years."

The OII estimates that there were 41,626 auto thefts in Ohio last year, down from the 1998 FBI Uniform Crime Report figure of 43,021. The statewide estimate is computed by determining the change in auto theft experience among the reporting police departments between 1998 and 1999. The percentage change is then applied to the statewide 1998 auto theft figure to develop the 1999 estimate.

"Although the number of thefts continue to decline, what we are seeing is an increase in the value of the vehicles reported stolen," noted Kelso. "As the cost of new cars increases, so does theft-related claims."

The value of unrecovered vehicles in 1999 exceeded $87 million, according to OII estimates, slightly lower than the 1998 figure of $90 million. The FBI reports that the average value per vehicle stolen in 1998 was $6,030, up 11% from the 1997 average of $5,416.

According to figures supplied by the police departments to the Institute, eight cities reported decreases between 1998 and 1999, ranging from 6.1% to 28.2%. Of the cities reporting auto theft decreases, Parma had the greatest percentage decrease, down 28.2% as a result of reducing thefts from 181 in 1998 to 130 in 1999. Parma also fared best in the vehicle theft ratio category among the surveyed cities, with one theft occurring for every 590 of the city's registered vehicles. Two other cities experienced decreases in auto theft exceeding 20% between 1998 and 1999-Canton (24.2%) and Lorain (20.4%).

Statewide survey results also follow the national trends showing that auto theft rates are highest in urban cities. However, some of Ohio's smaller cities have been experiencing higher percentages of auto theft increases than their urban counterparts, according to OII findings.

"Elyria, Springfield and Warren all experienced double-digit increases in auto theft between 1998 and 1999," Kelso said. " And nine of the 17 surveyed cities showed some degree of auto theft increase." Elyria showed the greatest percentage increase in thefts between 1998 and 1999, with a 48.7% increase, while Warren wasn't far behind with an increase of 43.5%.

A comparison of 1999 thefts to vehicle registrations, according to OII estimates, indicates one vehicle stolen for every 278 registered vehicles in the state (click here to download the chart in PDF format), improving from the 1998 ratio of one theft for every 265 vehicles. 1997 figures reflected one theft for every 247 registered vehicles.

"There are ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies, car manufacturers and the insurance industry to reduce auto theft," explained Kelso. "In addition, consumers are all too aware of the cost of auto theft and are taking precautionary measures from locking their cars to adding antitheft devices."

Consumers spent about $360 million in 1999 to protect vehicles from theft according to the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association, compared to $161 million five years ago.

The Ohio Insurance Institute is a public information and trade association representing insurance companies and agent groups for the property/casualty insurance industry. A primary objective of the OII is to help Ohioans achieve a better understanding of insurance and related safety issues.

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Auto theft key facts

	Every 25 seconds a motor vehicle is stolen in the U.S., according to FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
	The odds of a vehicle being stolen in the U.S. is 1 for every 171 registered vehicles (FBI Uniform Crime Reports) in 1998. Ohio's estimated ratio for 1999 is 1 for every 278 vehicles (compared to 1 for every 265 in 1998).
	Car thief apprehension is relatively low. Only 14% of 1998 thefts were cleared by arrests.
	At least 12 states require insurers to give car owners discounts on their comprehensive insurance for passive antitheft devices, such as ignition cutoff switches and some types of alarms that are automatically activated when the car is locked.
	Insurer discounts range from 5% off the comprehensive portion of the auto insurance premium up to 30% for devices that automatically activate when the car is locked and don't require driver activation.
	According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), it's estimated that 84% of the autos stolen in 1970 were recovered. In 1997, only 68% of drivers ever saw their vehicles again once they had been stolen. Many unrecovered vehicles are shipped overseas or driven over borders.
	According to the 1999 CCC Information Services survey conducted annually, American car thieves prefer imports. The most frequently stolen vehicles in terms of the number of cars for each particular model year are the 1989-91 Toyota Camry's (1st, 2nd, 3rd) followed by the 1998 Camry. The fifth most frequently stolen vehicle was the 1997 Ford F150 pickup. Rounding out the top 10 were various model year Honda Accords.
	The NICB reports that the top 10 stolen cars in Ohio in 1998 were domestics with the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme remaining the most frequently stolen vehicle in the Buckeye state, followed by Chevrolet's compact pickup and full-size pickup trucks. Its study ranks the vehicles most often stolen regardless of model year. (NOTE: Contact the OII for a list by major Ohio city.)