The Coyote Secure Theft Observatory details each year the characteristics of vehicle thefts in France. Different criteria are taken into account: geography, type of goods or method of theft. This report combines various figures and data provided by Coyote Secure, the Ministry of the Interior and partner insurance companies. For its fifth edition, the observatory points in particular to a slight increase in the number of vehicles declared stolen in 2021.
Vehicle theft: one theft every four minutes
122,700 vehicle thefts in 2021 in France, i.e. one theft every four minutes. This is the finding put forward by the Coyote Secure Flight Observatory. A figure up slightly compared to 2020 (+ 1%), which still remains below the pre-covid years. As a reminder, in 2019, the annual cost of vehicle theft claims reimbursed by non-recourse insurance companies amounted to 780 million euros. In detail, the distribution of the number of thefts concerned approximately 65% of cars. And 35% of two-wheelers over the past four years.
More generally, the restriction measures due to the third wave of covid reduced the number of flights in the first and the beginning of the second quarter of 2021. Unlike the third quarter when the number of flights increased. A trend also confirmed for the number of customers equipped with the Coyote Secure solution. That is an increase in flights from September and more generally in the fourth quarter which alone accounted for 34% of the flights for the year. Unlike August, which was less affected due to holiday departures (5% of flights).
SUVs, motorcycles and construction machinery: the big victims
SUVs, motorcycles and construction machinery: these are the three most stolen types of vehicles in 2021. On the auto side, only the number of SUV thefts increased in 2021, i.e. a rate of 3.2‰ (+ 3%), the highest VP. In 2021, 64.6% of car thefts involved SUVs. It should be noted that all categories of cars were affected by the theft and in particular city cars for the general public, models prized for their spare parts.
On the two-wheeler side, motorcycles saw their theft rate increase sharply in 2021 (+ 15.2%). Scooters still remained the most popular vehicles (63 thefts for 1,000 scooters equipped).
As for professional vehicles, the study points to an increase in the number of thefts of 6%. The most popular are construction machinery, vehicles with very high market value. In 2021, one in three companies equipped with construction equipment or machinery or LCVs claims to have been affected by theft.
The top three: Île-de-France, PACA and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
The ranking of regions affected by theft in France remained the same in 2021. But the report reveals that three of the five regions most affected by theft recorded an increase in 2021. A rate remained stable in Île-de-France. With the exception of Hauts-de-France, the third most affected region in France, whose theft rate fell by 8.1% compared to 2020. Ile-de-France counted as each year the largest number of thefts (5.9‰).
Theft also increased in PACA (+5.1%) and in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (+4.5%). These are the second and fifth most affected regions. It is the Pays de la Loire region which recorded the largest increase in flights: + 14.3% in 2021. On the podium, therefore, are Île-de-France, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d Azur and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. These regions alone accounted for more than 50% of vehicle thefts reported in France in 2021.
Vehicle theft: four modus operandi
In 2021, electronic theft remained the method used in 88% of cases. A stable trend compared to 2020, all vehicles combined. Four operating modes come up regularly: theft from the computer, the mouse, the OBD socket or even the relay case. “These techniques are very effective on vehicles that carry more and more electronics. They leave few traces and generally do very little damage to the vehicle stolen by criminals, who focus on neutralizing the security and geolocation systems offered by manufacturers,” notes Benoit Lambert, CEO of Coyote. At the same time, more classic methods, by scam or with keys, are still widespread.
