It is best to keep an eye on your white Toyota. Photo: Jason Borg

Do you own a white Toyota? If so, you might want to keep a closer eye on it over the next few days as insurance figures show they are the most likely cars to be stolen... especially in July.

Figures compiled by Gasan Mamo’s auto insurance department revealed that almost a third of their client’s stolen vehicles were white Toyotas.

Francis Valletta, the department’s general manager, believes the attractiveness of white vehicles to car thieves may be their ability to blend in.

“White is by far the most common colour of vehicles and also of those stolen – second only to silver and grey cars, which are also quite common colours for Maltese cars,” Mr Valletta said, adding that he did not charge a higher premium for pale cars.

White is by far the most common colour of vehicles and also of those ­stolen

Stolen Toyotas were followed by Peugeots and Fiats which, according to Transport Malta, are among the top 10 makes on Maltese roads.

Gasan Mamo has recorded some 130 clients’ cars stolen since 2010 but a study published by Eurostat last week indicated 372 were stolen in Malta in 2010 alone.

With an average of more than one stolen car a day, Malta placed slightly higher than the EU average for auto theft.

The study found that the high number of cars on Maltese roads was a major contributing factor to theft.

There are some 350,000 cars currently registered in Malta, making an average of three cars for every four people. With a road network of 2,254km, this means there is an average of one car every six metres, giving auto thieves ample choice.

Mr Valletta said that despite the higher number of vehicles, the total auto theft claims had halved in three years: “In 2010 there were around 40 of our insured cars that were stolen, in 2011 fewer and last year we had about 20. This will likely continue to decrease.”

Mr Valletta attributed the fewer theft claims to a higher number of new cars on the road, adding old cars were easier to break into.

“New cars have alarm systems and steering wheel locks. I suppose it’s not as easy as it used to be,” Mr Valletta said.

The police confirmed that 150 stolen vehicles were recovered in 2010 but Mr Valletta feels the number of unrecovered cars may be due to a tendency towards fraudulent claims.

Criminologist Sandra Scicluna was not surprised by the figures and the higher occurrence of auto thefts in July. They corresponded to the higher crime rates experienced in summer, she added.

“When there are more people on the island, there is also more crime. Not to mention the days are longer and people go out more. People are easier targets for crime in summer,” Dr Scicluna said.

Karl Vella, an insurance broker who negotiates insurance packages for car owners, believes the higher number of summer thefts is likely down to the lax behaviour of car owners.

“I’ve had several clients who told me they left their window open or their engine running while they popped out for something. What do they expect?”

Car lifting is not always rife. December was among the quietest times for vehicle theft for Gasan Mamo, with no cars being stolen in that month since 2010.

Dr Scicluna said this fitted in with Maltese crime patterns.

“It’s not surprising. In winter people go out less, and in December people tend to spend more time with family due to the holidays. My advice would be: don’t put yourself in a vulnerable position.”