MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — The spike in carjackings and auto thefts we've seen lately impacts not only the victims, but everyone in the form of higher insurance premiums.
Scott Holeman of the Insurance Information Institute says that although the impact may be small on your insurance premium, where you live is a factor in what your rate will be.
"While something like carjacking is covered under a comprehensive policy... it is always better to prevent a loss than deal with the fallout of having a stolen vehicle," Holeman said.
He adds that new model cars offer better safety features, which may help lower insurance rates when it comes to theft on your premium.
From the NAIC's (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) consumer guide about factors impacting auto insurance:
Generally, you’ll pay more for insurance, particularly for comprehensive and collision coverages, if your vehicle is newer or more expensive. Sports cars and high-performance vehicles also cost more to insure because they’re involved in more accidents and thefts and cost more to repair. If you drive a large SUV or truck, which can cause more serious damage in an accident, you could pay more for liability coverage.
Here's a list of factors that impact insurance rates.
Meanwhile, car theft has been on the rise in Minnesota, growing at an alarming rate over the past few years. According to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, on average 23 cars are stolen every single day in Minnesota. That's about one car every hour.
The most recent stats on auto theft in our state come from 2020. According to the Minnesota BCA there were a total of 13,662 vehicles stolen, which is a 19% increase from the previous year.
Nationally, we saw a near 12% increase in stolen vehicles. according to the Insurance Information Institute.
When it comes to carjackings, the Minneapolis Police Department said last year they had a total of 655, and that's just in Minneapolis. The numbers this year are trending upwards and MPD says the problem isn't getting better.
Here's a list you don't want to be on, the top five stolen vehicles in Minnesota for the year 2020:
- 2000 Honda Civic
- 2000 Honda CR-V
- 1999 and 2003 Chevy Pick-up
- 1997 Honda Accord
- 2007 and 2009 Toyota Camry
Check out the rest of the top ten list from the National Insurance Crime Bureau here.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce says the single most cited complaint when it comes to auto theft by both law enforcement and prosecutors is that 60% of cars are stolen simply because people in our state like to leave their keys in their car.
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