Automotive theft charges will not be excessive in Hong Kong in comparison with many different cities, however that doesn’t imply you received’t nonetheless really feel very pissed off in case your personal automobile or bike is stolen. What number of vehicles are stolen in Hong Kong yearly? What must you do in case your automobile is stolen? For those who can’t discover your automobile ultimately, will the insurer compensate you on your loss? Are the non-public belongings in your automobile lined by the insurance coverage too? The automobile insurance coverage consultants at Kwiksure will reply the above questions for you at the moment.

Automobile theft rose by 40% in contrast with the identical interval final 12 months

In line with the Hong Kong Police, there have been 546 circumstances of automobile theft in the course of the first 9 months of 2022 – a rise of 154 circumstances (39.3%) in comparison with 392 circumstances in the identical interval final 12 months. Over the previous ten years, there have been 400-600 circumstances per 12 months on common.

Supply: The Hong Kong Police

Which fashions are most frequently stolen?

When it comes to automobile fashions and types, hybrid vehicles and Japanese seven-passenger vehicles are normally at greater danger. Criminals steal vehicles for the components, that are later resold for revenue, or they put pretend license plates on them for different legal functions. The catalytic converter linked to the exhaust pipe on hybrid vehicles accommodates treasured metals, so it’s wanted within the second-hand market. Equally, Japanese 7-passenger vehicles can be utilized by criminals for actions like website inspections and transporting stolen property since they’re frequent and low-profile.

4 methods to stop personal automobile theft

1. Park your automobile in a parking zone with safety

Automotive thieves typically go to quiet streets or low-security parking tons in the course of the evening to search for targets. It normally solely takes a couple of minutes to pry open the door and the ignition change to steal the automobile, after which the thief will drive the automobile to a ready location or warehouse to have it taken aside and the components eliminated. Thus, to cut back the chance of theft, the very first thing is to keep away from parking your automobile in a single day on a really quiet avenue. As an alternative, it’s best to park it in a parking zone with safety and CCTV.

2. Set up an auto-upload automobile cam

You can even set up a dependable anti-theft system to your automobile, particularly video cameras that save recordsdata to the cloud.

3. Lock the doorways earlier than leaving your automobile

So as to benefit from the obtainable house, some parking zone operators will ask the driving force for the automobile key in order that they will transfer the automobile. Some thieves will fake to be the automobile proprietor, cheat the parking zone employees for the automobile key, after which drive the automobile away. Likewise, they could strategy a automobile with its key within the door or a automobile with doorways unlocked. So, it’s best to park in a high-security parking zone or storage and be sure that the automobile is locked whenever you go away your automobile in order that criminals may have no likelihood at it.

4. Keep away from leaving valuables behind

It is common information that not putting your belongings in plain sight can scale back the chance of your automobile changing into a goal for thieves.

4 anti-theft measures for bikes

1. Lock the wheel

Locking the wheel can improve the time required for the thief to steal your automobile as a result of even when the thief succeeds in breaking the ignition change, he has to unlock the wheel to push the bike away. Thieves at all times search for simple targets, and a wheel lock will add an additional layer of safety to your bike.

2. Cowl your automobile

A motorbike cowl prevents thieves from realizing the kind and mannequin of your bike at a look, in order that they can not inform whether or not your bike is dear. Furthermore, a canopy protects your automobile from daylight and rain. However don’t cowl your automobile when there’s a storm, in any other case, the duvet can work like a parachute and make your bike fall over!

3. Use bike cowl locks

It’s endorsed that you just use automobile cowl locks at each the entrance and rear of your bike, as a result of even bike covers could be the goal of thieves.

5. Use anti-theft gadgets

Really decided criminals might merely carry the bike by themselves to the connecting automobile and transport it away. In that situation, all three anti-theft measures talked about above will fail. In view of this, we suggest that you just use disc brake locks to make it much more troublesome for thieves to push away your bike.

Some disc brake locks are additional outfitted with an alarm gadget. If the lock senses vibrations, the alarm will maintain beeping. As for the GPS anti-theft programs, they will help you identify the whereabouts of your bike whether it is stolen.

Tip: When shopping for a used automobile, confirm the supply of the automobile earlier than taking supply, in order to keep away from shopping for a stolen automobile!

What kind of automobile insurance coverage ought to I purchase to guard in opposition to automobile theft?

Typically talking, complete automobile insurance coverage already covers losses attributable to automobile theft. You may additionally take into account buying fireplace insurance coverage and theft insurance coverage on high of third-party motor insurance coverage. Remember to take note of the quantity of the deductible in case of automobile theft.

What are the insurance coverage claims and compensation procedures after a automobile is stolen?

As soon as a automobile is confirmed stolen and can’t be recovered, the insurer will appoint an assessor to find out the worth of the automobile, then deduct the relevant deductibles (together with however not restricted to the theft deductible) to reach on the ultimate quantity of compensation. All the course of usually takes 4-6 weeks.

Will there be compensation for different gadgets misplaced within the automobile theft?

All private belongings and gear that aren’t unique within the stolen automobile won’t be lined, until they had been specified and authorised by the insurer on the time of software for protection (equivalent to premium stereos).

Easy methods to calculate NCD for a stolen automobile

In Hong Kong, the No Declare Low cost (NCD) is connected to folks and never autos, so even when a automobile is stolen and can’t be discovered, the proprietor can nonetheless switch the NCD of the previous automobile to a brand new automobile. If the proprietor secured complete motor insurance coverage and claims compensation for the stolen automobile, the NCD shall be deducted by 30% (e.g. from 50% NCD to twenty% NCD). Alternatively, if you happen to secured a third-party motor coverage and your automobile is stolen, the NCD could be absolutely transferred to every other automobile underneath your identify as a result of there could be no claims.

Who owns the stolen automobile whether it is later recovered?

After an insurer has paid compensation for a stolen automobile, if the unique proprietor subsequently recovers the automobile (for instance, the police returns the automobile to the proprietor after the case is resolved), he should instantly notify the insurer since it’s already stipulated within the coverage doc that the property insured now belongs to the insurer.