Students are most likely to be victims of burglary during university orientation weeks, according to a report by State Insurance.
According to data from the insurer, orientation week is the busiest time of the year for student-related insurance claims, with 26.9% more burglary and theft claims.
The most frequently stolen items are bikes, with 22.7% of claims. Bicycle theft has also been trending upwards for the past three years. Cell phones (16%) and laptops (10.7%) are also popular targets.
Auckland, where University of Auckland and AUT are located, has the highest number of burglary and theft claims in orientation weeks, closely followed by Christchurch’s University of Canterbury and Victoria University of Wellington.
With a new academic year beginning soon, Wayne Tippet, State executive general manager for claims, said the data shows the importance of being aware of personal possessions during the buzz and excitement of orientation.
“O-week is one of the best weeks of the year for university students, but unfortunately, there is a clear spike in theft related claims during those two weeks,” Tippet said. “We’re here to help support students if they need to make a claim, but we’d also encourage students to lock things up and be aware, so they can hopefully avoid the inconvenience and distress of losing a special item. Students may be covered already if their parents have contents insurance with State, but we’d recommend people check their policies to be sure, and if they have a particularly special item, to make sure that’s specified on the policy.”
