Thefts of cars and trucks and catalytic converters — a expensive and vital automobile portion — surged in 2020, including worry to individuals all through an by now-striving time.
Regulation enforcement specialists, insurance policy sector insiders, and even mechanics have all viewed the spike impact their professions.
In 2020, vehicle thefts greater 9.2% about 2019, in accordance to a study by the Countrywide Insurance policies Crime Bureau. Overall, the team counted 873,080 thefts all over the calendar year as opposed with 799,644 in 2019.
In addition to whole cars and trucks, robbers have been sawing catalytic converters off the car or truck undercarriages, because the units contain cherished metals, mostly platinum, palladium and rhodium, which have seen sharp rate raises in modern months. Rhodium’s selling price hovered around $28,000 an ounce this week.
Specialists say the economic outcomes of the pandemic and high steel price ranges are among the components emboldening robbers. But individuals can take methods to shield them selves by locking their autos and not leaving their important fobs in the motor vehicle, and setting up anti-theft units for catalytic converters.