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Halloween and car vandalism

Halloween mayhem costs $2.8 million in car damage every year, double the trouble compared to other days.

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Sarah George
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Halloween often brings out the most mischievous of car pranks, and that could mean a higher chance of costly damage to your car. In light of that ghastly risk, prevent trouble by securing your car ahead of time.

What's in this guide?

  1. What does Mischief Night have to do with my car?
  2. How common is car vandalism on Halloween?
  3. Which days are the worst for vandalism?
  4. Which cities have the most Halloween vandalism claims?
  5. How much does Halloween vandalism cost to clean up?
  6. How do I prevent car vandalism on Halloween?

What does Mischief Night have to do with my car?

Mischief Night is similar to Halloween where people play minor pranks on neighbors, friends or strangers. It happens on October 30th — the night before Halloween — and is sometimes called devil’s night, gate night, goosey night or even cabbage night.

Common car pranks on Mischief Night

Cars are easy targets for pranksters because most people aren’t watching their cars the night before Halloween. And while Mischief Night pranks are supposed to be harmless, some tricks go a little too far.

Common car pranks include:

  • Egging
  • Throwing firecrackers
  • Stealing tires
  • Breaking windows
  • Toilet-papering or Saran-wrapping
  • Car-tipping
  • Putting rotten food or other objects in open windows
  • Smashing pumpkins

How common is car vandalism on Halloween?

Car owners report 81% more vandalism claims on Halloween than the annual daily average, according to the 2013 Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) bulletin on vandalism.

The month of October also sits as the fourth-highest month for car vandalisms, seeing 6% more claims than average. As a reference point, the annual daily average is nearly 700 vandalism claims.

Car vandalism claims by holiday

With the average daily claims represented by the number 1.0, compare the percentage above or below the average for holidays with the most vandalism claims.

HolidayRelative average daily claims
Halloween1.80
Fourth of July1.45
New Year’s1.38
St. Patrick’s Day1.00
Thanksgiving0.75
Christmas0.55

Which days are the worst for vandalism?

The worst day of the week for vandalism is Saturday, with Sunday following close on its heels. Both Monday and Friday tie for the third-worst vandalism days.

Mischief night 2020 stakes its claim for Friday night, warranting an extra eye. And Halloween 2020 falls on the peak day for vandalism — Saturday night — so it’s worth taking extra precautions to safeguard your car this Halloween weekend.

Car vandalism claims by day of the week

With the average daily claims represented as 1.0, compare the percentage of claims above or below the average that takes place on each day of the week.

Day of the weekRelative average daily claims
Monday1.00
Tuesday0.90
Wednesday0.90
Thursday0.85
Friday1.00
Saturday1.15
Sunday1.10

Which cities have the most Halloween vandalism claims?

Los Angeles county topped the list with an average of 27 claims on Halloween, according to the HLDI vandalism report. That number is nearly double its annual daily average. That makes sense, considering LA’s large population of drivers.

Four of the top 10 counties with the most Halloween vandalisms are in California, and three in Texas. Urban areas tend to have higher annual daily averages compared to other cities, likely because a higher population means more chances for car vandalism.

Most vandalism claims by county

CountyCityStateTotal annual claimsAnnual daily average claimsHalloween daily average claims
PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPennsylvania11,671613
San DiegoSan DiegoCalifornia12,048713
Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia25,9771427
CookChicagoIllinois21,3821222
MaricopaPhoenixArizona11,216611
Santa ClaraSan JoseCalifornia14,019813
DallasDallasTexas13,737811
AlamedaSan FranciscoCalifornia13,322711
BexarSan AntonioTexas12,21479
HarrisHoustonTexas21,1651215

How much does Halloween vandalism cost to clean up?

Car mischief around this holiday costs $2.8 million per day for the insurance industry, says the HLDI. That cost is double the average annual daily cost. For individuals, the average car insurance claim was $1,660 for vandalism claims on Halloween.

Keep in mind that this cost is only related to insurance claims, so the total cost of damage is likely be higher. Minor vandalism that’s easy to fix — like egging — might go unreported or unclaimed.

How do I prevent car vandalism on Halloween?

Whether you’re out trick-or-treating or watching a scary movie at home, there are ways to avoid trouble. You might also consider making sure your car insurance policy has comprehensive coverage just in case you need to make a claim.

Keep your car safe with a few simple tips:

  • Park in a garage.
  • Use a security camera.
  • Drive on well-lit streets.
  • Lock your doors.
  • Roll up all windows.

Methodology

To bring you this report, we dove into the Highway Loss Data Institute’s Vandalism bulletin from September 2013. The study used information from January 2008 to December 2012 on cars up to nine years old. These numbers are likely underreported since they only involve insurance claims, not reports of car vandalism, and claims were only counted for areas with more than 500 vandalism reports.

In the HLDI report, we compared information about the annual daily average number of vandalism claims and cost. Then, we looked at which days of the week and which holidays had the most vandalism claims relative to the annual daily average. Last, we compared the risk of Halloween vandalism for the top 10 counties that have the highest annual daily averages for vandalism claims.

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