Catalytic Converter Thefts are Turning Violent and Deadly

The 117th State of the Fleet Industry video produced by Automotive Fleet offers insights into the state of the fleet market as presented by AF Editor Mike Antich. Today's topics include: More and more of these catalytic converter thefts are turning violent, and on at least three occasions, the vehicle owners were killed while the crime was in progress. It is important to instruct employee drivers not to confront thieves who are attempting to steal catalytic converters from their fleet vehicles and instead to keep their distance and immediately call 911. In 2018, there were 1,298 catalytic converter thefts. Three years later, in 2021, catalytic converter theft claims jumped to 14,433 incidents — a 325% increase in a single year. Year to date, in calendar-year 2022 from January to September, more than 50,000 catalytic converters have been stolen from parked vehicles in the U.S. Make sure you're signed up for the AF newsletter so you don't miss another State of the Fleet Industry video. 📰 Sign up for the Automotive Fleet newsletter. 🚗 Visit Automotive Fleet for more fleet industry content. 🎥 You can watch these episodes on the Automotive Fleet YouTube Channel! 🤝 Follow and connect with Automotive Fleet on social media! Connect with Automotive Fleet on LinkedIn. Like Automotive Fleet on Facebook. Follow Automotive Fleet on Twitter.