Automobile. Every three minutes, a car accessory is stolen in France.

Reports of car accessory thefts have exploded in recent months. According to figures from the Ministerial Statistical Service for Internal Security (SSMI), part of the National Police Directorate General, a theft occurs approximately every three minutes in France. And the trend is upward, with a 10% increase in one year.

The most targeted parts are optics (headlights, bulbs) which represent around 35% of thefts followed by catalytic converters (20%) which attract attention for their precious metals, rims/wheels (18%), then bumpers (10%).

Reversing cameras, especially on Renault models, are also particularly attractive. They are often associated with the rear logo, out of stock, and resold at knockdown prices (€30 instead of more than €200 new).

This increase can be explained by inflation affecting the used parts market. According to the SRA association, the price of reused spare parts has increased by nearly 10% in one year. The reasons for this are a shortage of new parts, the rising cost of raw materials, and exploding demand.

Major cities such as Marseille, Saint-Étienne, Aix-en-Provence, Saint-Denis, Toulouse and Montpellier are among those most affected by these thefts.

Some departments are under particular pressure: Bouches-du-Rhône, Seine-Saint-Denis, Loire-Atlantique, Val-d'Oise, Pyrénées-Orientales, Val-de-Marne are among the most affected according to the report from the Ministry of the Interior.

To avoid having to deal with this kind of inconvenience, solutions exist such as parking in closed garages, requesting comprehensive cover or the "equipment/accessories" option from your insurance, or even engraving the VIN number on certain parts to complicate their resale.