A quarter of all car thefts are the result of a home break-in, according to the results of the RACQ 2015 Car Security Index.

MORE THAN one quarter of all the car thefts in Australia are the result of home break-ins with car keys being stolen along with the owner’s car, according to the 2015 RACQ Car Security Index. Indeed, the figures related to driveway car thefts have increased (by 3.1% to 25.4%) in 2015 when compared with figures for 2014.

Only 13.4% of cars were stolen from the street in front of or adjacent to the owner’s home. The research also found 17.8% of thefts over the past year were from the street side which suggested opportunistic thieves were targeting older less secure makes and models and cars not properly secured.

Executive Manager Insurance Communications Mike Sopinski said these thefts were a result of thieves targeting car keys in homes.

“The continuing high rate of theft from driveways is being driven by overall improvements in car security forcing thieves to directly target keys,” Mr Sopinski said.

“A staggering 44.8% of people admit they don’t always secure their car keys while at home. Motorists really need to treat their keys like cash.”

“Thieves also favoured shopping centre car parks with 13.4% of thefts from these areas over the past 12 months,” Mr Sopinski said.

RACQ Car Security Index results:

• Public car park (11.3%);
• Bus or rail commuter car parks (7.5%);
• Home garage (6.6%);
• Work car parks (2.8%);
• Hotel, motel caravan park guest parking (0.9%).