Road crashes involving stolen motor vehicles in South Australia.

This study examined the incidence of road crashes involving motor vehicle theft in South Australia over a 12-year period. The study found that 3,774 crashes involved a stolen vehicle, equating to an average of almost one crash per day. These crashes resulted in 835 casualties including 24 fatalities. The estimated cost of damage to property in crashes involving vehicle theft in 2006 was $2 million with an average cost of $7,330 per crash. When the additional human, vehicle and general costs are considered, the true price of collisions involving vehicle crime is estimated at around $17 million per year (based on crashes in 2004). Data on offenders’ age, sex and license status was missing. Further research which captures the demographics of the offenders involved in road crashes in South Australia would provide additional insight and better inform policies developed to tackle the issue.