_   Roughly $6 billion was lost to motor vehicle theft in 2018, and the average dollar loss per theft was $8,407, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) and data from the FBI. Examining auto theft trends over the years, information from I.I.I. notes vehicle thefts have trended downwards since 1991, falling about 55% from 1.7 million thefts in 1991 to 773,139 in 2017. In 2018, motor vehicles were stolen at a rate of 228.9 per 100,000 people, totaling 748,841 vehicles, a 3.1% decrease from 2017. Despite this nearly 20-year trend of reduction in vehicle thefts, researchers warn that thieves are constantly finding new and more sophisticated means of stealing autos. Tactics include acquiring smart keys, which eliminated hot-wiring to steal cars, switching vehicle identification numbers, and using stolen identities to secure loans for expensive vehicles. Creating a new cause for concern, NICB data shows there were 229,339 vehicle thefts with keys or fobs left in the vehicles between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018 — a 56% increase from the 147,434 vehicles stolen in this manner between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2015. The FBI's Uniform Crime Reports details motor vehicle thefts in 2018, and lists which states and cities experienced the most thefts that year. The FBI includes the theft or attempted theft of automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, scooters, snowmobiles, and other vehicles in its definition of motor vehicle theft. In the slideshow above, discover the top 10 states with the most motor vehicle thefts in 2018. See also: |

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