Net Used To Combat Car Theft
The Age
Saturday December 9, 2000
The Internet is being used to crack down on Australia's thriving car theft industry.
A website, www.carsafe.com.au, has been launched by the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council showing cars' vulnerability to theft.
The site also carries an interactive game designed to raise public awareness on how cars can be made more secure.
Australia's theft rate is one of the highest in the world, with 145,000 cars stolen last year, 37,000 of them in Victoria. It's an industry that costs the country $1billion a year. It is also growing - thefts rose 9per cent this year.
Council executive director Ray Carroll said 10-year-old Holdens or Falcons were most likely to be stolen by joy-riding youths. Professional thieves tended to prefer expensive, modern or imported cars.
Mr Carroll said 75per cent of the vehicles stolen last year were taken by joy-riders.
``The professionals account for 60 per cent of the insurance loss," he said.
© 2000 The Age