A new research has made an interesting revelation – car thieves have a colour preference, and this unlucky color is green.
Research by Monash University’s Accident Research Centre has found that green cars are the most popular among car thieves, stolen at a rate of 3.58 out of every 1,000 registered vehicles – well above the more common white cars, at 2.65 out of 1,000.
Also popular among car thieves are black (2.96) and red (2.81) vehicles.
“We’re quite surprised there is a correlation between vehicle colour and theft – who knew crooks had preferences?’’ said Hayley Cain, RAA Insurance claims manager.
The study also found that car thieves follow trends, because when owning black cars increased in popularity by 29%, the rate of thefts of black cars spiked by 56%.
The idea that colour influences what cars get stolen is backed by research findings about the top-three theft targets: the Nissan Pulsar, Holden Commodore VE, and Holden Commodore VT.
- Pulsar: For this make and model, green is the go-to colour for profit-motivated thefts, while red cars are used more often for 'short-term' thefts (for joyriding or to commit other crimes)
- Commodore VE: Black is preferred by thieves for this car for both types of theft
- Commodore VT: Green is favoured for short-term theft; and black for those looking to make a profit
“Having your car stolen (regardless of colour) is a major inconvenience – and if you’re not insured, a major financial setback – so you should take precautions to reduce the chance of vehicle theft,’’ Cain said.
To reduce the risk of car theft, RAA advises owners to:
- Park in your garage or carport, not on the road
- If you must park on roads, park in well-lit areas
- Install sensor lights in your driveway
- Always lock your vehicle, even if you’re only leaving it for a couple of minutes
- Remove valuable items from sight, and use your car alarm if you have one
- If you don’t have a car alarm, the old steering wheel lock can be an effective deterrent
- Make sure your vehicle is insured against theft
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