Motorcycle Theft Rising Nationwide
I’m Ed Smith, a Fairfield motorcycle accident attorney. The frequency of motorcycle theft incidents is rising in the U.S. and, for the second consecutive year, California is the state in which the most motorcycle thefts occur.
National Rise in Theft
Info taken from the yearly report published by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) shows that incidents of motorcycle theft rose by two percent nationally in the year 2016, with a grand sum of 46,467 bikes reported as stolen. The figure from 2015 was 45,555.
California Theft
A surprising amount of the stolen motorcycles were taken in the state of California. In 2016, 7,506 people reported that their bikes had been taken. This makes California the leader in motorcycle theft, with Florida following at a considerable distance with 3,024 fewer motorcycles stolen in 2016. After Florida, the states with the highest frequency of motorcycle thefts were Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina, with 3,692, 2,057, and 1,847 thefts in 2016 respectively.
Additionally, two Californian cities were found to be among the top four cities with the highest occurrence of theft, Los Angeles at number four and San Diego at number two. Los Angeles County was reported as the county with the highest rate of theft.
Weather and Motorcycle Theft
The NICB’s data shows that most motorcycle thefts happen during the summer and suggest that people are more likely to steal bikes when the weather is clear and riding them are more enjoyable. However, in California the rate of theft remained constant throughout all four seasons. This is mainly due to the warm weather making year-round riding a possibility in most regions.
Recovering Your Stolen Bike
According to the report from NICB, the rate of recovery for stolen motorcycles is a bit grim. Reportedly, only around 18,000 of all 46,467 reported stolen motorcycles in 2016 were returned to their rightful owners.
However, California’s recovery rate was higher than the average in the nation. 42 percent of reported stolen bikes were recovered in 2016. This is much higher than the nation’s lowest-ranked state for stolen motorcycle returns. In New York only 19 percent of stolen bikes were returned.
The brand of motorcycle that was most likely to be returned to its owner was Honda, which had a return rate of about 58 percent.
Most Stolen Brands
Per the report, the most stolen motorcycle brands of 2016 were, in descending order: Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Harley Davidson.
Related articles by Injury Lawyer, Ed Smith ~
- I’ve Been in a Motorcycle Accident – What Should I do at the Scene?
- Motorcycle Accidents – Injuries to Passengers on Motorcycle
Fairfield Motorcycle Accident Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, a Fairfield motorcycle accident attorney. Motorcycle accidents have the potential to seriously harm riders, pedestrians, and other motorists. If a motorcycle accident has killed or seriously injured you or a loved one, call my office at (707) 564-1900 for friendly and free advice. If you are outside of the area, you can call (800) 404-5400 toll-free.
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