There was a 25% increase in attempted car thefts in the Sharon region in the first half of 2008, compared with the corresponding period in 2007, a market survey by Ituran Location and Control Ltd. (Nasdaq:ITRN); TASE:ITRN) reveals. However, the rate of attempted car thefts in the center, Southern, and Northern regions was unchanged from 2007.
One third of the attempted car thefts in the first half of 2008 were located in the Gush Dan region, 23% were in the Sharon region, 13% were in the Shfela region, 12% were in the Jerusalem district, 9% were in the South, 8% were in the north, and 2% in Judea and Samaria. The rate of attempted car thefts in the Shfela region fell by 30%, compared with the corresponding period in 2007.
According Ituran CEO Nir Sheratzky, attempts to steal luxury vehicles rose by 27% in the first half of the year. He also said that most of the incidents of attempted theft were characterized by the double method where the thieves break into owners' homes, steal their car keys and then attempt to steal the vehicles themselves.
26% of the vehicles targeted by car thieves during this period were trucks, 18% were pick-up trucks, 17% were private cars and taxis, 13% were jeeps, 12% were commercial vehicles, 12% were luxury cars, 1% were mechanical engineering vehicles, and 1% were buses.
The preferred choice among car thieves are cars produced in 2000-2002, representing 32% of the total number of attempts to steal cars protected by Ituran. New vehicles accounted for 21% of the attempts.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 2, 2008
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