Automotive theft charges aren’t excessive in Hong Kong in comparison with many different cities, however that doesn’t imply you received’t nonetheless really feel very annoyed in case your non-public 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 in your loss? Are the non-public belongings in your automobile lined by the insurance coverage too? The automobile insurance coverage specialists at Kwiksure will reply the above questions for you as we speak.
Car theft rose by 40% in contrast with the identical interval final yr
In line with the Hong Kong Police, there have been 546 instances of automobile theft in the course of the first 9 months of 2022 – a rise of 154 instances (39.3%) in comparison with 392 instances in the identical interval final yr. Over the previous ten years, there have been 400-600 instances per yr on common.
Supply: The Hong Kong Police
Which fashions are most frequently stolen?
By way of automobile fashions and types, hybrid vehicles and Japanese seven-passenger vehicles are normally at greater danger. Criminals steal vehicles for the elements, that are later resold for revenue, or they put pretend license plates on them for different felony functions. The catalytic converter linked to the exhaust pipe on hybrid vehicles incorporates valuable metals, so it’s wanted within the second-hand market. Equally, Japanese 7-passenger vehicles can be utilized by criminals for actions like web site inspections and transporting stolen property since they’re widespread and low-profile.
4 methods to stop non-public automobile theft
1. Park your automobile in a car parking zone with safety
Automotive thieves typically go to quiet streets or low-security parking tons in the midst of the night time to search for targets. It normally solely takes a couple of minutes to pry open the door and the ignition swap 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 elements eliminated. Thus, to cut back the danger of theft, the very first thing is to keep away from parking your automobile in a single day on a really quiet avenue. As a substitute, it’s best to park it in a car parking zone with safety and CCTV.
2. Set up an auto-upload automobile cam
It’s also possible to set up a dependable anti-theft system to your automobile, particularly video cameras that save information to the cloud.
3. Lock the doorways earlier than leaving your automobile
With a view to profit from the out there house, some car parking zone operators will ask the motive force for the automobile key in order that they’ll transfer the automobile. Some thieves will fake to be the automobile proprietor, cheat the car parking zone workers for the automobile key, after which drive the automobile away. Likewise, they might method a automobile with its key within the door or a automobile with doorways unlocked. So, it’s best to park in a high-security car parking zone or storage and make 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’s normal information that not putting your belongings in plain sight can scale back the danger 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 swap, he has to unlock the wheel to push the bike away. Thieves at all times search for straightforward 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 sort and mannequin of your bike at a look, in order that they cannot 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 hurricane, in any other case, the quilt can work like a parachute and make your bike fall over!
3. Use bike cowl locks
It is suggested that you simply 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 objects
Actually decided criminals might merely raise 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 simply use disc brake locks to make it much more tough for thieves to push away your bike.
Some disc brake locks are additional geared up with an alarm system. If the lock senses vibrations, the alarm will hold beeping. As for the GPS anti-theft techniques, they can assist you establish 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 sort of automobile insurance coverage ought to I purchase to guard towards automobile theft?
Typically talking, complete automobile insurance coverage already covers losses attributable to automobile theft. You might also take into account buying hearth insurance coverage and theft insurance coverage on high of third-party motor insurance coverage. Make sure 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 remaining quantity of compensation. Your entire course of sometimes takes 4-6 weeks.
Will there be compensation for different objects misplaced within the automobile theft?
All private belongings and gear that aren’t unique within the stolen automobile won’t be lined, except they have been specified and authorised by the insurer on the time of utility for protection (equivalent to premium stereos).
The best way to calculate NCD for a stolen automobile
In Hong Kong, the No Declare Low cost (NCD) is connected to folks and never automobiles, so even when a automobile is stolen and can’t be discovered, the proprietor can nonetheless switch the NCD of the outdated automobile to a brand new automobile. If the proprietor secured complete motor insurance coverage and claims compensation for the stolen automobile, the NCD can be deducted by 30% (e.g. from 50% NCD to twenty% NCD). Then again, in case you secured a third-party motor coverage and your automobile is stolen, the NCD could be absolutely transferred to another automobile underneath your identify as a result of there can 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.
Hey there! This is kind of off topic but I need some guidance from an established blog. Is it tough to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty quick. I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not sure where to begin. Do you have any points or suggestions? Thank you