Thefts: 1 out of 200 cars is broken into
THOUSANDS OF DAMAGES Under the slogan "Summer, sun, sat nav gone", the insurer Axa has evaluated the thefts from vehicles over the last ten years. Although the number of cases is falling, the damage per case is rising.
The car door is cracked or a side window smashed - and whatever valuables were inside are gone. Every year, one in 200 cars is stolen. Although every fifth theft in Switzerland occurs abroad, 70 percent of them in France or Italy, four out of five burglaries still occur in Switzerland. Axa Versicherungen AG has evaluated when and where the worst cases occur over the last ten years.
Preferred brands of thieves
Anyone who drives an Alfa Romeo, Land Rover, Range Rover or Smart seems to be particularly likely to fall prey to thieves. They are followed in second place by BMW, Dacia, Fiat and Mercedes. Owners of Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Skoda seem to be more cautious or carry fewer valuables, while Subaru and Suzuki appear to be the safest.
The vacation season is high season for thieves, whether foreign or domestic. Cars are robbed particularly often in July, but August and October are also above average. Proximity to the border also attracts thieves - apparently mainly from France.
Western Switzerland is in the lead
With a theft rate three times higher than the Swiss cantonal average, Geneva is the lonely leader. In Geneva, instead of one in 200, one in 67 cars is affected once a year. It is followed by Vaud, Neuchâtel and Ticino. Of the German-speaking cantons, only Basel-Stadt makes it into the top five, which are above the Swiss average.
Patrick Villiger, Head of Motor Vehicle Claims at Axa: "There should be no valuables in the car - certainly not visible, but also not in the trunk or glove compartment. In addition, you should always lock the car and close the windows. Thefts are insured under both household and comprehensive insurance."
2022 total 4000 thefts
Damage is compensated if objects were firmly attached to the vehicle or enclosed - in convertibles, the top must therefore be closed or at least objects should be stored in a locked compartment.
Axa reimburses an average of 1800 francs for a total of 4000 thefts from vehicles in 2022. Incidentally, the number of cases is tending to decrease statistically, but the damage per case is higher today than in the past.
