The Sunshine Coast had the lowest rate of car theft insurance claims in Queensland last year, despite the number of claims more than doubling.
The latest RACQ analysis of insurance claims found the Sunshine Coast had the largest increase in car theft claims during 2022-23, up by 160 percent.
However, when the number of claims (60) was compared to the number policies, the region ranked 19th out of 19 across the state.
RACQ Chief Executive Insurance Trent Sayers said 1450 car theft claims were received in the past financial year, with the total cost of finalised claims more than $39 million.
Mr Sayers said the Gold Coast had had the highest number of claims by volume, with a total of 195, a jump of more than 60 percent from the previous year, with other seaside regions like Wide Bay (71 percent) showing large jumps in claims.
“Even though many of us enjoy our coastal regions for a slower-paced lifestyle, it’s important for Queenslanders to be aware that car theft can happen anywhere,” Mr Sayers said.
“Across the Sunshine and Gold Coasts, residential areas and popular tourist spots have been targeted.
“It’s troubling to see such large spikes in the number of claims for these areas, so we are urging Queenslanders to remain vigilant.”
Mr Sayers said the latest research also revealed car theft fears had substantially increased, with 54.2 percent of South East Queensland residents now being very or extremely concerned, compared with 38.1 percent during the same period last year.
