Home for the Holidays? Not If You're a Car Thief

DES PLAINES, Ill. –New data released today by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) shows a total of 22,705 vehicles were reported stolen on the 11 holidays in 2016 covered in this report. NICB theft data is pulled from the National Crime Information Center's (NCIC) stolen vehicle file which showed a total of 803,719 vehicle thefts for the year.

Halloween was the top holiday with 2,578 reported thefts. Halloween was followed, in descending order, by Labor Day (2,258), New Year's Day (2,242), Memorial Day (2,139) and New Year's Eve (2,110).

Download the complete report here and an infographic here.

The holidays with the fewest thefts in 2016 were: Christmas Day (1,664), Thanksgiving (1,777), Valentine's Day (1,789), President's Day (2,008) and Christmas Eve (2,054).

Holidays ranked by the number of thefts in 2016 were:

  1. Halloween (2,578)
  2. Labor Day (2,258)
  3. New Year's Day (2,242)
  4. Memorial Day (2,139)
  5. New Year's Eve (2,110)
  6. Independence Day (2,086)
  7. Christmas Eve (2,054)
  8. President's Day (2,008)
  9. Valentine's Day (1,789)
  10. Thanksgiving (1,777)
  11. Christmas Day (1,664)

California was the number one state with the most holiday vehicle thefts in 2016 with 5,285. It was followed by, in descending order, Texas (2,121), Florida (1,397), Washington (889) and Georgia (763).

NICB reminds drivers to be vigilant and to secure their cars during this season as vehicle thieves are not filled with the holiday spirit. Some will definitely make a gift to themselves of your vehicle if you make it easy for them.

2016 Holiday Vehicle Theft Report

Anyone with information concerning insurance fraud or vehicle theft can report it anonymously by calling toll-free 800.TEL.NICB (800.835.6422) or submitting a form on our website.

About the National Insurance Crime Bureau: Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., the NICB is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to combatting and preventing insurance crime through Intelligence, Analytics, and Operations; Education and Crime Prevention; and Strategy, Policy, and Advocacy. The NICB is supported by more than 1,200 property-casualty insurers, self-insureds, rental car, vehicle finance, and auto auctions. To learn more, visit www.nicb.org.