Germany has again recorded an increase in car thefts. According to data published by the German Insurance Association (GDV), 19,503 thefts were registered in the country in 2010 — about 7% more than in the previous year. As usual, the statistics cover the past year and do not include the current, not yet completed period.
The greatest damage from thefts was suffered by large cities: for example, in Bielefeld the number of stolen cars increased by 70% compared to 2009, in Dortmund — by 54%, and in Cologne — by 34%. However, Berlin remains the absolute leader, where 3,290 cars were stolen, which is 8.9% more than a year earlier.
Of particular interest is which cars German criminals prefer. The most attractive for thieves turned out to be the hybrid Lexus RX — for every 1,000 such cars there are 21.2 theft cases. Second place goes to the BMW M3 coupe with a rate of 18.8 cases per thousand, and third — to the Volkswagen T4 minivan with 15 cases per 1,000 cars. Also among the favorite targets of intruders are Porsche models, Audi, and various GM products.
