Patsy A. Klaus

July 1, 2004    NCJ 205123

Presents data for carjackings that occurred in the United States between 1993 and 2002. Carjacking is defined as completed or attempted robbery of a motor vehicle by a stranger to the victim. It differs from other motor vehicle theft because the victim is present and the offender uses or threatens to use force. The report presents information on demographic characteristics of the victims such as race, gender, and income; and characteristics of the incident such as time and place of occurrence, weapon use, police reporting and whether the motor vehicle was recovered.

Highlights include the following:

• Carjacking rates were higher on average during the first 5 years of the 1993-2002 period (2.1 per 10,000 persons each year) than during the last 5 years (1.3 per 10,000).
• Carjacking victimization rates were highest in urban areas, followed by suburban and rural areas. Ninety-three percent of carjackings occurred in cities or suburbs.
• A weapon was used in 74% of carjacking victimizations. Firearms were used in 45% of carjackings, knives in 11% and other weapons in 18%.

Part of the Carjackings in the United States Series

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