[2023] Aichi Prefecture ranks first in car thefts for the third consecutive year

The General Insurance Association of Japan will announce the results of its 25th Automobile Theft Accident Survey, which surveyed 21 non-life insurance companies, on March 12, 2024, revealing the prefectures with the highest number of thefts in 2023 and the theft situation by vehicle name .

Prefecture rankings for car thefts in 2023

Aichi Prefecture had the highest number of thefts in 2023, with 411 cases . Aichi Prefecture gradually rose in rank from third in 2019 to second in 2020, before taking first place in 2021 and 2022. This marks its third consecutive year of worst thefts. Chiba Prefecture came in second with 301 cases . While this increased by five cases from last year, its ranking rose due to the larger increase in Osaka Prefecture. Osaka Prefecture, which ranked first in 2019 and 2020, saw a significant decrease in cases in 2021, dropping to third place . While the rankings have fluctuated, the top five prefectures remain consistent from year to year. The five prefectures combined account for 1,551 cases, accounting for approximately 60% of the total. The regions share a commonality: the presence of large ports that serve as international trade hubs. Criminal organizations targeting cars likely target locations where stolen vehicles can be quickly transported by ship.

2023 Theft Ranking by Vehicle Name Vehicle Body

According to the survey results, Toyota’s Land Cruiser was the worst model for vehicle thefts in 2023 for the third consecutive year. In second place was the Alphard, and in third place was the Prius. The Alphard’s proportion of total vehicle thefts has been on the rise, making it the second worst this time. It is also striking that of the 1,446 vehicles in the top 10 for vehicle thefts in 2023, all were manufactured by Toyota.

Overview of the survey

Survey period: January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022

Survey subjects: 21 non-life insurance companies (including non-member companies of the General Insurance Association of Japan)

Cases covered: Car thefts and thefts of vehicles (including theft of parts) that occurred nationwide, and cases in which insurance payments were made during the survey period.

*The survey is based on data on incidents and accidents for which insurance claims were made. Because it is based solely on actual insurance claims, it does not include incidents and accidents for which insurance claims were not made.

2023 Car Theft Ranking by Model

According to the results of a survey on car thefts, Toyota Motor Corporation’s Prius was the most stolen car by model for the fourth consecutive year . Furthermore, the Alphard has been on the rise, becoming the second most stolen car by model . The Prius accounts for a high proportion of all car thefts, making it the worst this year as well.

Time periods when vehicle thefts occur in 2023

In 2023, the most common time period for vehicle thefts was “late night to early morning (10 PM to 9 AM) ,” accounting for 58.4% of cases, with the proportion of “late night to early morning (10 PM to 9 AM)” increasing by approximately 1.3% compared to 2022. It is thought that thieves tend to commit thefts in dimly lit areas between late night and early morning.

How to protect against theft and car break-ins?

This probably means that the chances are higher for people who drive the above models.These days, it is said that there is peace of mind because the vehicle’s location can be tracked using external communication devices such as genuine “immobilizers” and “T-Connect” and dedicated apps, but the most common time period for incidents is “late at night to early morning (10pm to 9am),” accounting for 58.4% of incidents, and the proportion of “late at night to early morning (10pm to 9am)” has increased by about 1.3% compared to 2022.There is also an increasing number of thefts using a method known as a “relay attack,” in which weak radio waves emitted from a smart key left at home are relayed to unlock the door.

Even if the door lock is unlocked by a relay attack, the probability of the vehicle being stolen is reduced if the steering lock is engaged. Furthermore, it is a countermeasure because thieves will not touch a locked car in the first place.

One way to prevent relay attacks is to take measures to prevent radio waves from being emitted when storing keys at home, which may help prevent car theft and break-ins.

We recommend installing even a simple security camera to deter theft. This one is solar-powered and requires no power source, records day and night using a microSD card, has a motion sensor, and can be operated and activates a siren alarm using a smartphone app.

Survey on actual car theft accidents

https://www.sonpo.or.jp/about/useful/jidoshatounan/index.html

Results of the 24th Survey on Car Theft Accidents

https://www.sonpo.or.jp/about/useful/jidoshatounan/pdf/news_23-33.pdf

https://www.sonpo.or.jp/index.html