Warm weather offers favorable conditions for car thieves, while holidays and cold weather bode well for potential victims, according to a new report from the
In 2010, Christmas Day and Thanksgiving recorded fewer car thefts than any other day of the year. California, Texas, Florida, Illinois and Georgia suffered the most holiday theft, with California oftentimes exceeding the four runners-up combined. Also, somewhat anomalously, California’s holiday thefts peaked on President’s Day, followed by Valentines Day, while three of the four other states listed above experienced the most activity on New Year’s Day.
Overall, the average number of car thefts per day for 2010 was 2,124, and seasonally speaking, the months with above-average daily theft rates were May through October. February saw fewer thefts per day than any other month in 2010, averaging 1,902 per day.
The two days of 2010 that saw the highest number of car thefts were June 1 (3,001) and October 1 (2,598). New Year’s Day was the only holiday to surpass the daily average, with 2,347 thefts.
The overall state rankings “followed the same general fluctuations” as the holiday rankings, with California suffering the most thefts per day, and the above-mentioned four states following behind.
The NICB charted 11 holidays, including New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
