In my neighborhood there’s been an uptick in car thefts. Frankly, I thought it was correlated to the heroin epidemic in northern New Jersey and merely crimes of opportunity; however, it turns out it may be a bit more than that. That’s because the increased cost of vehicle parts as more safety features and technology is added has made it a worthwhile endeavor.
If a vehicle gets stolen and parted out, you could actually wind up netting a total value close to the market value of an entire vehicle.
This has resulted in car thefts rising four percent, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). When vehicles are recovered it’s common for them to be stripped or to have common parts missing that can be easily sold on the black market.
Consider this your warning, Spies. If you park your vehicles in your driveway and leave the keys inside or leave cars unlocked, you may want to give it a second thought. That’s because if your auto is jacked, you may not find much left if it is recovered.
Check out the NICB’s video that details this below.
If you own a late model car or truck, and you’ve been in a wreck, you may still be shaking your head over the repair bill. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) says today’s vehicles are loaded with expensive parts and technology that increase the costs of repairs, even in what may be considered a minor accident.