The theft of a car causes its owner serious experiences, inconveniences and sometimes also serious costs if the car was not insured. However, vehicle owners are at least ten times more likely to encounter the theft of various parts or damage to their vehicles during theft attempts.
Users of Volvo, BMW and Volkswagen cars should be most wary of scammers, according to the data collected by the insurance joint-stock company “BTA Baltic Insurance Company” (hereinafter – BTA).
In the last three years, Volvo cars have been the most frequent victims of thieves. The most coveted parts are still the headlights, for which criminals break the windows of the driver’s door and open the hood. Thieves are not deterred by the fact that the lamps were marked, which shows that the demand for lamps in the “gray market” is quite high, so that buyers ignore the visual defects caused to the lamp even when the marking is removed.
The second most stolen brand is BMW, and in the case of Bavarian vehicles, thieves are interested in side mirrors, the steering wheel and the driver’s instrument panel. In addition, the last two parts, apparently in a hurry after the alarm was triggered, are brutally torn from the cabin. Less often, one or both rear lights are stolen. Criminals are most interested in parts of 4- to 10-year-old BMW cars, while Volvo is the clear leader in the category of stolen 8-15-year-old cars.
Far behind in terms of the number of registered cases, the third place in the disappointing list is occupied by Volkswagen. Among the models made by the German car manufacturer, the Touareg SUVs have suffered the most, and their headlights are usually stolen. On the other hand, in the age group up to three years old, parts of Škoda vehicles are particularly sought after. Thieves are interested in the side mirrors of the brand’s most expensive Kodiaq and Superb models, however, the total amount of stolen parts is at least 4-5 times lower than in the case of BMW.
“Theft of car parts is still a serious problem, and it is extremely difficult to combat it. While some drivers are willing to buy and install stolen lights or mirrors in their cars in search of a lower price, the rest cannot feel really safe. Crimes occur both in Riga and in other in cities and villages. If thieves have noticed an interesting car model, they will wait for the opportunity to take the parts they have seen. Since lockable garages or guarded parking lots are available to a small part of society, basically only CASKO policy can protect against losses, which will cover the costs of repairs and purchase of parts.” emphasizes Kārlis Liepiņš, director of BTA’s Insurance Claims Department, dispelling the myth that owners of older cars can sleep peacefully. BTA statistics clearly show that most thefts are directed against 8-10-year-old cars. The group of 11-15-year-old cars is quite a bit behind, and new cars – aged up to 3 years – are only in third place.
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2024-03-11 13:28:27
#Garners #covet #Volvo #headlights #BMW #mirrors
