Car crimes happening every 21 minutes

Car thefts and break-ins rose 12 per cent last year, with vehicles being targeted by criminals on average once every 21 minutes.

A total of 24,416 vehicles were stolen or broken into in 2019, a study using police data and conducted by financial comparison website Finder shows. This was up from 21,761 such offences in the previous year. 

The area with the highest risk of car crime was Lower Hutt City, where one in every 98 cars was targeted, according to the study.

Palmerston North City, Wellington City, Napier City, and Auckland rounded out the top five worst places for vehicle offences. 

The South Island’s Waimate district was the safest region to own a car, with just one in every 2,084 cars stolen or broken into during 2019..

Most car thieves struck at about 3pm, the findings reveal, and 16 per cent more of vehicle thefts happened at weekends compared to weekdays.