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Young People Are Car Theft Magnets: Study
They're three times more likely to have their car stolen…
Shocking data provided by AMI Insurance in New Zealand indicates drivers under the age of 25 have their cars stolen "approximately three times higher" than the population average. That's a concerning bit of information and leads to all kinds of questions. However, AMI says 26% of its car theft claims were filed by people 25 years of age or under, even though they're under 10% of the company's customer base, perhaps explaining why they get reamed on insurance rates.
Learn why car thieves are recruiting children here.
The lazy explanation so many would run to is that the youth of today are stupid. Look, we're old enough to remember in the 90s when Gen X was constantly flogged for being too rebellious and supposedly lazy. The same thing happened over a decade ago to Millennials.
Now it's Gen Z's turn to run the gauntlet of ridicule. But this sort of thinking not only is lazy, it leads to erroneous conclusions.
AMI dug into the data further and found something which should be obvious: younger drivers tend to own older, cheaper cars. This means they have a vehicle which is easier to steal than the new Audi their parents or grandparents might drive.
If you're a car thief and you know anything, you'll avoid the nearly-impossible-to-steal newer German luxury sedan and go for the easy-to-steal Kia even though it's worth far less because it actually gets you paid.
Of course, AMI recommends covering good insurance coverage if you're young and do drive a cheap, older car. That isn't a bad idea, actually, but the company in its press release about these findings also recommends having an immobilizer installed and using a steering wheel lock.
They also counsel to not leave an idling car unattended and to take over basic precautions like locking the doors, not leaving valuables inside, and parking your vehicle in a secure garage. We think two GPS trackers wouldn't be a bad thing to consider, either.
Check out the AMI Insurance press release about the study here.
Image via Gustavo Fring