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player ready...Airbags hit the road in 1987, but it took a few years before crooks figured out how they could steal them and make a profit, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute, an insurance industry research agency.
In 1994, airbag thefts represented 5 percent of all auto theft claims, according to estimates from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, which tracks auto-related theft. By 1995, the rate jumped to 10 percent, and by the end of this year, the Bureau expects the average to double again, to 20 percent. The increase continues despite a drop in overall vehicle theft rates, and it is costing policy holders up to $127 million a year, according to Bloomington, Ill.-based State Farm Insurance Co.
It’s hard to pinpoint the extent of the problem because airbag thefts are difficult to track. Most police departments don’t note on reports that the airbag was stolen. Investigators may notice a missing bag when they recover a stolen car, but their police report will list the crime as either “auto theft” or “theft from vehicle,” according to Michael Kelso, a Chicago-based investigator for the bureau.
Today, an estimated 50 million cars on the road have airbags, which are credited with saving 900 lives since 1987. By the 1998 model year, all new cars are required by federal law to have driver – and passenger – side air bags. By the following model year, all new light trucks and vans also will be required to have dual airbags.
The trend started in Detroit, said Kim Hazelbaker of the Highway Loss Data Institute, an insurance industry group. Then it moved to other big cities such as New York and Los Angeles. Chicago, however, has not been as hard hit, and no one seems to be able to explain why.
“We’re just not seeing a lot of them in this area — yet,” said a Chicago Police Dept. spokeswoman after checking with the department’s auto theft unit and looking through case reports. “We know we can’t stop something from happening, but as soon as we say we’re not having a problem, then — Boom! — here it is.”