Thieves are more likely to target cars again, according to the Car Theft Barometer of insurer Interpolis. The number of car break-ins in the first five months was 33 percent higher than in the same period last year.
In January to April there were 17,161 thefts from cars and other motor vehicles, much more than the 12,880 in 2021. According to Interpolis, a factor in this is that we had to deal with the corona measures for less time this year. People are leaving home more often and so are thieves, according to the insurer.
In all provinces, the number of car burglaries rose sharply in 2022, except in Flevoland (minus 35 percent) and Friesland (minus 15 percent). Looking at municipalities, the strongest increase was seen in Groningen, Amersfoort and Maastricht. In Almere, Haarlem and Arnhem, the number fell sharply. In absolute numbers, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht are at the top.
Not only did the number of car break-ins increase, the number of stolen cars also increased in the first five months of this year. It increased by 18 percent. The cars most frequently stolen are the Volkswagen Golf, the VW Polo and the Fiat 500.