Motor Vehicle Theft in Australia 2008/09

The nation further improved on the reductions of the past eight years in 2008/09, delivering a record low of 62,370 vehicle thefts.  Passenger and light commercial (PLC) thefts fell by 10.5 per cent for the period—the largest annual reduction since 2004—to 51,350. The result is an overall decline of 60 per cent in PLC thefts since volumes peaked in 2001. Motorcycle thefts were also down by 4 per cent to 7,475. The theft of heavy vehicles, plant and equipment rose 4 per cent to 3,500 for the year.

As a result, theft rates per 1,000 population and 1,000 registrations continue to decline, now at 2.9 and 3.9 respectively. Seventy-one per cent of vehicles stolen were recovered by the end of June.  However, based on long-term trends relating to late recoveries, it is estimated that the final recovery rate will increase to 73 per cent.  Recovery rates also vary significantly with vehicle age, which is explored in more detail in the Performance Indicators section of this Report.

Older PLCs continue to account for the overwhelming volume of thefts, with vehicles manufactured prior to 1999 representing 69 per cent of all thefts despite only making up 42 per cent of the national fleet.

The proportion of the vehicle fleet protected with an Australian Standards Equivalent (ASE) immobiliser reached a record high of 61 per cent. Vehicles fitted with an ASE accounted for only one in three thefts for the year.

While the volume of unrecovered PLCs has remained stable over the last seven years, there have been major changes in the characteristics of the vehicles that appear to simply ‘vanish.’ As a group, missing vehicles now present a bigger proportion of total thefts. One in four vehicles stolen is now not recovered, compared to close to one in eight, six years ago.   Motorcycles now make up over a quarter of all non-recoveries and represent a greater proportion of stolen vehicles (one in eight).

One in every 274 registered PLCs were stolen in the period, compared with one in every 240 in 2007/08.  Motorcycles were stolen at a rate of one in every 85 registered, down from one in 74 last year .  Popular family cars remain the target of profit-motivated thieves with close to 800 Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons less than 10 years old not recovered. The Toyota Hilux was also popular with over 100 stolen remaining not recovered. The value of these vehicles alone exceeds $15 million. 

The reduction in theft numbers for the year has saved the community an estimated $76 million .  The NMVTRC estimates the cost of vehicle theft to still be in the vicinity of $1 billion, excluding the very large community costs associated with police investigations, courts, and corrections.