Theft Ratings: How Safe Is Your Car?
Joshua Gliddon
8 July 2008
www.drive.com.au
NRMA Insurance has released its annual theft ratings - and taken a swipe at car makers who don't use self-destructing compliance labels.
The labels, which NRMA Insurance claims cost just $2 each, make it harder for thieves to steal and re-birth vehicles.
The insurance giant made the call at the release of its annual vehicle theft rating survey, which ranks the ability of a car to be broken into, stolen and re-birthed.
The survey found that European cars consistently rated harder to steal and re-birth, while Korean cars - in particular many of Holden’s Korean-made cars - ranked near the bottom in terms of theft protection.
The exception was Hyundai, which recently announced it would fit self-voiding compliance labels to its cars.
“All other things being equal, a poor score will translate into a higher insurance premium,” says NRMA Insurance spokeswoman Emma Garland. “But it is also just one factor that we take into account.”
The Korean-made Holden Barina hatch and sedan were the second and third easiest cars to steal in the small car field. In the small medium field, the Holden Viva was ranked easiest to steal and re-birth.
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