Study: New Years Day Busiest Holiday for Car Thieves

DES PLAINES, IL --- New Year's Day was the leading holiday for reported vehicle thefts in 2008, according to an analysis issued recently by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Among holidays, your vehicle was safest on New Year's Eve and Christmas Day. 

Nationally, vehicle thefts have been on a steady decline for several years in a row, to less than 1 million a year in 2008. But the thieves are still busy, stealing an average of 2,650 vehicles every day in the U.S., or one every 33 seconds. 

"We know that thieves never miss an opportunity to make a quick buck by stealing a car," said Joe Wehrle, president and CEO of NICB. "They work weekends, nights and holidays and ironically, they are particularly busy on New Year's Day and Labor Day." 

The holidays ranked by number of thefts reported to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) in 2008 were: