New research from AMI Insurance has revealed that cars owned by younger people are at greatest risk of being stolen.
Research published earlier this year revealed that the most commonly stolen cars in NZ were:
1. Mazda Demio
2. Mazda Atenza (also known as Mazda6)
3. Nissan Tiida
4. Subaru Legacy
5. Mazda Familia
6. Subaru Impreza
7. Toyota Hilux
8. Ford Courier
9. Subaru Forester
10. Honda Civic
AMI said the likelihood of a car being stolen was “far greater” if a driver was under 25.
According to AMI’s claims data, young drivers have their cars stolen at a rate approximately three times higher than the general population.
Over the past three years, 26% of AMI’s theft claims were for cars owned by drivers under 25 years, even though they make up less than 10% of AMI’s customers.
AMI executive general manager for claims, Wayne Tippet, said young drivers tended to drive smaller and older cars, the perfect target for opportunistic thieves.
“Compared to the rest of the population, younger drivers are more likely to drive an older, second-hand car that won’t break the budget – an older Mazda Demio or Suzuki Swift are both good examples.
“Unfortunately, that also makes young drivers more susceptible to theft. Many older, imported vehicles lack security features such as car alarms and immobilisers which deter thieves from attempting to steal a car in the first place,” he said.
According to AMI, the five cars most popular with young drivers were the Mazda Axela, Toyota Corolla, Suzuki Swift, Mazda Demio, and Subaru Legacy.
Two of those – the Mazda Demio and the Subaru Legacy – also featured on AMI’s list of New Zealand’s top 10 stolen cars.
Young people were more likely to drive older cars: the average age of cars driven by insured young drivers was 16 years, with most vehicles registered in 2005-2007.
AMI aims to help young people build financial resilience by making it easier for them to get insurance.
“With a tighter budget than most, young people won’t always have the spare cash to replace a stolen car, and that can be a major roadblock to simple things like getting to work or study, or seeing friends.
“If you’re driving something with quite a few years under its belt, I strongly recommend taking extra precautions to prevent it being stolen and consider getting an immobiliser installed.
A steering wheel lock is another effective and affordable option that will help deter thieves.
“And of course, car insurance is there to help you absorb the financial hit if the worst happens and help you get back behind the wheel as fast as possible.”
AMI has partnered with Fleetcoach to offer an online driver education course that eligible AMI young driver customers can complete to qualify for $250 off their vehicle policy excess.
“We’re hoping this will encourage more young people to take up insurance, and to know that we’re on their side in case things go wrong,” says Mr Tippet.
