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Bicycles in Essen: 125,000 insured bicycles stolen
Photo: Gottfried Czepluch / IMAGO
According to German insurers, the number of bicycle thefts fell to a record low in 2021 due to the corona pandemic.
"A total of 125,000 insured bicycles were stolen, around 15,000 fewer than in the previous year," said the general manager of the German Insurance Association (GDV), Jörg Asmussen.
The insurers' figures cannot provide precise information about the extent of bicycle thefts, as they only record the number of stolen bicycles that are also insured.
For comparison: the police crime statistics also registered falling numbers for 2021 - specifically a decrease of 10.5 percent - but with 234,000 cases they list even more crimes.
In addition, the number of unreported cases is likely to be much higher, since many thefts are not reported.
It should be clear with both statistics: The declines are again related to the pandemic.
"We are also assuming a corona effect for 2021," said Asmussen.
"Many people worked from home, so bicycles were rarely left unattended outdoors." As in the first Corona year of 2020, there were simply fewer opportunities for bicycles to be stolen.
Damage of 860 euros per stolen bike
According to the information, the amount of damage remained at the level of the previous year at 110 million euros.
The average loss has almost doubled in the past ten years from 440 euros to 860 euros and is thus higher than ever before.
"The increase in compensation payments shows that the trend for theft of expensive bicycles is continuing," said Asmussen.
Since there were fewer opportunities outdoors, thieves were increasingly looking in basements for high-quality racing bikes, e-bikes or mountain bikes in order to resell them.
"Bicycles in the basement should therefore not only be locked, but also securely locked," said Asmussen.
According to the GDV, if a bicycle is stolen from locked storage rooms, cellars or apartments, household contents insurance will cover the damage.
However, since the crime scene is usually on the open road, an additional clause in the household contents policy offers protection here.
The bike must always be secured with a standard lock so that it can be used in the event of an accident.
According to the association, 47 percent of the almost 27 million insurance contracts included the bicycle clause.
According to the GDV, the so-called replacement value is then reimbursed.
This amount measures how much a new equivalent wheel costs.
Apr/Reuters/dpa
