Thieves nationwide are fueling a multimillion-dollar black market for stolen air bags, but local police cannot determine whether that trend is permeating into the Baltimore region.
“We have [the air bag thefts] from time to time, but there?s no trend that I?m aware of,” said Cpl. Mike Hill, a Baltimore County police spokesman.
Following these thefts is difficult, because they fall under the broader category of general thefts from autos, said state police spokesman Sgt. Arthur Betts, who added that car dealerships are typical targets.
More than 75,000 air bags valued at more than $50 million are stolen every year in the United States, according to the Insurance Information Institute, which aims to improve public understanding of insurance issues.
“The [National Insurance Crime Bureau] estimates more than 600 air bags are stolen nationally every week. Five percent of thefts from cars are now air bags” said Ragina Averella, a AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman.
State Farm Insurance estimates that the theft of air bags could cost insurance companies and their customers between $127 million and $253 million a year.
A thief can steal an air bag and sell it for $200 to an unethical repair shop owner, who then charges the customer the standard $500 to $1,000 to replace the deployed air bag, according to State Farm Insurance.
The thefts are a serious safety concern because the stolen air bag might not deploy, Averella said.
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