Jan-Feb Car Theft Up 6.2% In Argentina
The number of cars stolen in Argentina in the first two months of 2009 rose 6.2% from the same period a year earlier, the Road Safety and Experimentation Center (CESVI) reported Tuesday.
The City of Buenos Aires bucked the trend, with car thefts actually actually falling 4.2%.
Residents in Greater Buenos Aires, however, weren’t so lucky. Criminals in the area surrounding the capital stole 12.3% more cars than a year ago.
People living south of the city had the worst luck as thefts there rose just over 20%. Car theft rose almost 17% in areas west of the city while it was up just 1% in “zona norte.”
Meanwhile, an analysis of the data show that 15.5% of all car theft takes place place on Fridays, making that the worst day of the week to drive or park your car.
About three quarters of all car theft involves parked, unattended cars while just 25% involves the armed robbery of drivers who are in their vehicles when the crime occurs.
The car that is most stolen is the Fiat Duna. Some 257,000 Dunas were made in Argentina between 1987 and 2004. It’s a car still commonly used by Taxi drivers. The second-most stolen car is also a Fiat – the Uno. It’s followed by the Volkswagen Gol.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Dunas, Unos and Gols are the most stolen because they are very popular models and the parts have a high resale value. The Duna and the Uno (also the older Gol models) are no longer manufactured but the parts are still needed.
Still, I think the favourite taxi models are still the peugeot 504 and 405. But that’s just my impression.
“Just” 25% are stolen in armed robberies?!
I wonder if this is to do with the economic slowdown. I have gotten the feeling that there is a growing frustration about the social inertia developing in Argentina. The daze of economic collapse at the beginning of the decade and the rapid growth afterwards are fizzling out and people within the lower parts of society are growing frustrated at there being no change in their position during the period of post-collapse rapid growth.
Just a little theory this post made me think about.
I feel so free without having a car here in BA, here is a pain in the butt parking, driving, stoping on some traffic lights and having to give a tip for glass cleaners, being insulted…. taxi is a good economic option (about 10 USD for 12 miles ride) and walking is my choice for short distances during the day….
so if also I have to be worried about what this article say, I don t want to have a car on BA jamas!
Taos, felicitaciones con tu sitio, muy bueno!
[...] insurer Lloyd’s of London to foot the bill for the costly recovery operation. Tuesday, 07 April Jan-Feb Car Theft Up 6.2% In Argentina[The Argentine Post] The number of cars stolen in Argentina in the first two months of 2009 rose [...]