[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 21, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 28246-28255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12883]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 541

[Docket No. NHTSA-2016-0073]


Final Theft Data; Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Publication of 2014 final theft data.

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SUMMARY: This document publishes the final data on thefts of model year 
(MY) 2014 passenger motor vehicles that occurred in calendar year (CY) 
2014, including theft rates for existing passenger motor vehicle lines 
manufactured in model year (MY) 2014.

DATES: Effective date: June 21, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Deborah Mazyck, Office of 
International Policy, Fuel Economy and Consumer Programs, NHTSA, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. Ms. Mazyck's telephone 
number is (202) 366-4139. Her fax number is (202) 493-2990.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NHTSA administers a program for reducing 
motor vehicle theft. The central feature of this program is the Federal 
Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard, 49 CFR part 541. The standard 
specifies performance requirements for inscribing and affixing vehicle 
identification numbers (VINs) onto certain major original equipment and 
replacement parts of high-theft lines of passenger motor vehicles.
    The agency is required by 49 U.S.C. 33104(b)(4) to periodically 
obtain, from the most reliable source, accurate and timely theft data 
and publish the data for review and comment. To fulfill this statutory 
mandate, NHTSA has published theft data annually beginning with MYs 
1983/84. Continuing to fulfill the section 33104(b)(4) mandate, this 
document reports the final theft data for CY 2014, the most recent 
calendar year for which data are available.
    In calculating the 2014 theft rates, NHTSA followed the same 
procedures it used in calculating the MY 2013 theft rates. (For 2013 
theft data calculations, see 80 FR 72929, November 23, 2015). As in all 
previous reports, NHTSA's data were based on information provided to 
NHTSA by the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) of the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation. The NCIC is a government system that receives 
vehicle theft information from nearly 23,000 criminal justice agencies 
and other law enforcement authorities throughout the United States. The 
NCIC data also include reported thefts of self-insured and uninsured 
vehicles, not all of which are reported to other data sources.
    The 2014 theft rate for each vehicle line was calculated by 
dividing the number of reported thefts of MY 2014 vehicles of that line 
stolen during calendar year 2014 by the total number of vehicles in 
that line manufactured for MY 2014, as reported to the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA).
    The final 2014 theft data show a slight decrease in the vehicle 
theft rate when compared to the theft rate experienced in MY/CY 2013. 
The final theft rate for MY 2014 passenger vehicles stolen in calendar 
year 2014 decreased to 1.1512 thefts per thousand vehicles produced, a 
decrease of 0.43 percent from the rate of 1.1562 thefts per thousand 
vehicles experienced by MY 2013 vehicles in CY 2013.
    For MY 2014 vehicles, out of a total of 235 vehicle lines, five 
lines had a theft rate higher than 3.5826 per thousand vehicles, the 
established median theft rate for MYs 1990/1991. (See 59 FR 12400, 
March 16, 1994). Of the five vehicle lines with a theft rate higher 
than 3.5826, four are passenger car lines, one is a multipurpose 
passenger vehicle line, and none are light-duty truck lines.
    The MY 2014 theft rate reduction is consistent with the general 
decreasing trend of theft rates over the past several years as 
indicated by Figure 1. A statistical compilation of stolen vehicle data 
from various vehicle theft monitoring agencies show that passenger 
motor vehicle theft is trending downward. A similar decreasing trend in 
vehicle thefts was reported in the FBI 2014 Uniform Crime Report 
showing a 1.5% reduction in motor vehicle thefts (automobiles, trucks, 
buses and other vehicles) from 2013 to 2014. Overall, as indicated by 
Figure 1, theft rates have continued to show a downward trend since MY/
CY 1993, with periods of very moderate increases from one year to the 
next.

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    On Tuesday, September 20, 2016, NHTSA published the preliminary 
theft rates for CY 2014 passenger motor vehicles in the Federal 
Register (80 FR 46930). The agency tentatively ranked each of the MY 
2014 vehicle lines in descending order of theft rate. The public was 
requested to comment on the accuracy of the data and to provide final 
production figures for individual vehicle lines. As a result of the 
adjustments, some of the final theft rates and rankings of vehicle 
lines changed from those published in the September 2015 notice. The 
agency received a written comment from Volkswagen Group of America, 
Inc. (Volkswagen).
    In its comment, Volkswagen informed the agency that the production 
volume listed for the Volkswagen Tiguan was incorrect. In response to 
this comment, the production volume for the Volkswagen has been 
corrected and the final theft data has been revised accordingly. As a 
result of the correction, the Volkswagen Tiguan previously ranked No. 
38 with a theft rate of 1.7563 is now ranked No. 99 with a theft rate 
of 0.8068.
    Further review of the preliminary theft list revealed that the 
numbering sequence of the vehicle lines was incorrect. Specifically, 
the listing erroneously omitted the sequence row for vehicle No. 234. 
The final theft data has been revised to reflect the correct numbering 
sequence. As a result of the changes in the numbering sequence, the 
theft data reflects 235 vehicles instead of 236 vehicles for MY 2014.
    The following list represents NHTSA's final calculation of theft 
rates for all 2014 passenger motor vehicle lines. This list is intended 
to inform the public of calendar year 2014 motor vehicle thefts of 
model year 2014 vehicles and does not have any effect on the 
obligations of regulated parties under 49 U.S.C. Chapter 331, Theft 
Prevention.

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    Issued in Washington, DC, under authority delegated in 49 CFR 
1.95.
Raymond R. Posten,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 2017-12883 Filed 6-20-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-59-P