Latest news

January 2012
The CARS Analyser has undergone an impressive makeover, with the new and improved tool providing approved stakeholders with access to up-to-date motor vehicle theft statistics using an easy and flexible pivot table interface. The new Analyser allows users to draw on over a million theft records enabling them to conduct an extensive range of customised theft queries. For more information on the features of the new Analyser see the latest edition of Theft Matters.

December 2011
The September quarter has seen good falls in both short term and profit-motivated theft, reversing earlier rises. Overall, short term theft was down 7 per cent from the previous quarter with 9,373 thefts. Similarly, profit-motivated theft fell 6 per cent, settling at 4,256 thefts for the July to September period. For a full state and territory breakdown see the latest edition of Theft Watch.

November 2011
The NMVTRC is often asked about factors leading to the consistent decline in motor vehicle theft over the past decade and likely future trends - in this edition we discuss the difficulties of evaluating crime prevention initiatives;  we launch Choose a Ride, a new YouTube-based, interactive film to encourage young people to consider the consequences of car theft; and the NMVTRC's Executive Director is invited to speak at the Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia's workshop on combating vehicle crime. For these stories and more on vehicle theft reform see the latest edition of Theft Torque.

An analysis of insurance claim costs from the CARS database has revealed that total claim costs paid by insurers have steadily reduced in line with the fall in overall vehicle theft over the past decade, despite a 30 per cent increase in Australia's car fleet size. For more interesting trends, see the latest edition of Theft Matters.

Annual Report
The 2011 Annual Report is now available for download.

October 2011
The NMVTRC has launched a new, YouTube-based interactive film which aims to get young people to consider the consequences of becoming involved in vehicle theft. Choose a Ride is aimed at young people aged 9 - 14 years and represents a world-first in tackling vehicle crime by young people. It has also been designed to be integrated into the Australian School Curriculum. The film is the result of a collaborative effort by Hobart-based film production company ROAR Film, Glenorchy City Council, Tasmania Police and the NMVTRC, and can be viewed on YouTube by searching 'Choose a Ride,' or by visiting choosearide.com. For a copy of the Media Release CLICK HERE.

The 2010/11 financial year has brought about another good reduction in vehicles stolen for short term purposes, with thefts down 4 per cent from the previous 12 months. Substantial declines were noted for NSW and the ACT, however, short term theft was up in QLD and WA. The total number of vehicles stolen for profit was also down, however, a large portion of this result was due to a sizeable decline in motorcycle theft in this category. Impressively, the 234 fewer profit-motivated thefts recorded in the ACT was greater than the total number stolen in the state for the financial year. For more information see the latest edition of Theft Watch.

September 2011
NMVTRC analyses of the distance from vehicle theft to recovery has discovered that vehicles stolen and recovered are more often than not found in close proximity to where they were originally taken; with a significant proportion stolen and recovered in the same suburb. For more information, see the latest edition of Theft Matters.

Strategic Plan  2011-2014
The 2011-2014 Strategic Plan is now available to download. Borrowed from the prevailing theme of the search for continuous improvements in road safety, the theme, 'Towards a secure system,' forms the basis of the NMVTRC's work program for the next three years.  

Strategic Plan

New Damage Assessment Criteria for the Classification of Statutory Write-Offs

Australia is making important changes to the way it manages written-off vehicles (WOVs) to improve the safety of repaired write-offs and combat the activities of profit-motivated vehicle thieves and fraudsters who try to manipulate related industry and government practices. 

The guide Damage Assessment Criteria for the Classification of Statutory Write-offs introduces new assessment criteria to ensure that WOVs which should not be repaired on safety grounds are consistently identified and appropriately classified as suitable only for dismantling or scrap.  The guide is intended to be used by insurance personnel and other notifiers[1] who are required to classify WOVs for regulatory purposes. 

 Technical Guide (High Res)
(As this is a print quality High Res Version download could take up to 3 - 20mins depending on Internet Connection and is not suitable for hand held devices)

 Technical Guide (Low Res)
(Lower res version for fast download and hand held devices)

More information on the development of the criteria and when they are scheduled for implementation around Australia is available here.

Frequently asked Questions