By Patsy Klaus

BJS Statistician

An average of about 49,000 completed

or attempted nonfatal carjackings took

place each year in the United States

between 1992 and 1996. In about half

of the incidents, the offender was

successful in taking the victim s motor

vehicle. In addition, although data on

fatal carjackings are not available,

about 27 homicides by strangers each

year involved automobile theft. Some

of these may have been carjackings.

Carjacking, as defined in this report, is

a completed or attempted theft in which

a motor vehicle is taken by force or

threat of force. It differs from other

motor vehicle theft, which does not

include incidents in which the offender

used force or threats of force to obtain

the vehicle. As explained in Methodology on page 5, only incidents in

which offenders were strangers to the

victim were included in this report,

except where otherwise noted. Carjackings that resulted in the murder 

of the victim(s) are not covered by the

National Crime Victimization Survey

(NCVS).

Data about murders that involved

automobile theft were obtained from

the Uniform Crime Reports, collected

by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

y 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. 

 ̆ Carjackings resulting in murder of

the victim(s) are not covered by the

National Crime Victimization Survey.

According to FBI data, however, each

year about 27 homicides by strangers

involved automobile theft. These

incidents may have been carjackings.

y Between 1992 and 1996 an average

of about 49,000 attempted or completed carjackings occurred in the

United States each year.

y About half of all carjackings were

completed.

y About 7 of 10 completed carjackings

involved firearms, compared to 2 

of 10 attempted carjackings. 

y Most carjackings, completed or

attempted, did not result in injury

to the victims.

y All of the completed carjackings

identified by the survey were reported

to the police, while more than half of

the attempts were reported.

*Based on fewer than 10 sample cases.

Reported to the police 79 100 57

With injury 16% 23% 10%

Percent of carjackings 

Knife, other, or unknown 36 20 52

Firearm 47 72 22*

Total with weapon 83 92 75

No weapon 17 8* 25

All carjackings 100% 100% 100%

Rate per 10,000 persons 2.5 1.3 1.2

Number of victimizations 53,452 27,710 25,742

Number of incidents 48,787 24,520 24,267

Annual average, 1992-96 Total Completed Attempted

Carjackings

 Highlights

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Special Report

Carjackings in the 

United States, 1992-96 

 March 1999, NCJ 171145
Characteristics of nonfatal 

carjackings

Each year between 1992 and 1996, 

an average of about 2.5 per 10,000

persons age 12 or older were victims 

of a completed or attempted carjacking

(table 1).

Ninety-two percent of carjacking

incidents involved one victim, and 

1% involved three or more victims.

Generally the categories of people the

most vulnerable to nonfatal carjacking

were those observed to be the most

vulnerable to violent crime overall.

Men were more frequently victimized

than women; blacks more often than

whites; Hispanics, than non-Hispanics;

and divorced, separated, or nevermarried persons, than those who were

married or widowed. Urban residents

were more likely to experience carjacking than suburban or rural residents.

Persons over age 50 had lower rates

than younger persons, but there were

no clear patterns by household income.

A weapon of some type was used 

in 83% of all carjackings (Highlights

and figure 1). Firearms were used 

in 72% of completed carjackings and

22% of attempts. Overall, firearms

were used in almost half of total nonfatal carjacking incidents. 

Thirty-eight percent of carjacking

victims offered no resistance to the

offender (table 2). Nineteen percent

used confrontational resistance, such

as threatening the offender with a

weapon, attacking the offender, chasing or trying to capture the offender,

and other similar methods. A third 

of victims used nonconfrontational

methods, such as running away, calling

for help, trying to get attention, and

other similar methods. Data were not

sufficient to analyze the relative impact

of various self-defense methods on

carjacking completion or victim injury.

Most carjacking victims were not

injured. About 16% of victims of

attempted or completed carjackings

were injured. Serious injuries, such 

as gunshot or knife wounds, broken

bones, internal injuries, and loss of

consciousness, occurred in about 4% 

of all carjackings. More minor injuries,

such as bruises, chipped teeth, and

other similar injuries, occurred in about

13% of all carjackings.

2 Carjackings in the United States, 1992-96 

*Based on fewer than 10 sample cases.

3 or more 1*

2 7*

1 92%

Percent of 

incidents

Number of victims 

in an incident

Note: Based on NCVS data. Does not

include carjackings involving murder.

*Based on fewer than 10 sample cases.

Rural 0.7*

Suburban 2.4

Urban 4.0

Location of residence

$50,000 or more 2.4

$35,000 to $49,999 3.2

$15,000 to $34,999 2.0

Less than $15,000 2.9

Household income

Divorced/separated 4.3

Widowed 1.7*

Married 1.4

Never married 4.1

Marital status

Non-Hispanic 2.2

Hispanic 6.1

Ethnicity

Other 2.2*

Black 6.0

White 2.0

Race

Female 1.9

Male 3.1

Sex

50 or older 0.9

25 to 49 3.6

12 to 24 2.5

Age

Total 2.5

Annual average

rates of attempted

or completed

carjackings

per 10,000 persons

Victim

characteristic

Table 1. Characteristics of carjacking

victims, by rates per 10,000 persons,

1992-96 

*Based on fewer than 10 sample cases.

a

Includes attacking the offender, chasing or

trying to capture the offender, and other

similar methods. 

b

Includes running away, calling for help, trying

to get attention, screaming, and other similar

methods.

Other 9*

Nonconfrontational actions 34 b

resistance 16 a

Unarmed confrontational

with weapon 3*

Threatened/attacked

No resistance 38

Total 100%

Percent of all

carjackings

Self-protective

measure

Table 2. Measures that victims 

of carjacking took to protect 

themselves, 1992-96

Figure 1

Other weapon/unknown

Firearm

No weapon

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Weapon present during carjacking

Percent of carjacking incidents

The offender carried a gun in almost threefourths of completed, nonfatal carjackings

Completed

Attempted

*Based on fewer than 10 sample cases.

a

Includes gunshot or knife wounds, 

broken bones, internal injuries, and 

loss of consciousness.

Minor injuries 13*

Serious injuries 4* a

Uninjured 84%

Percent of victims of

attempted or completed

Type of injury carjackings
About 13% of surveyed carjacking

victims were treated in hospital

emergency departments or outside

hospital settings, such as in doctors 

offices or at the crime scene. About

3% of victims did not seek medical

treatment even though they were

injured. 

Carjacking incidents were about evenly

divided between those committed by a

lone offender and those committed by

more than one offender (table 3).

Males committed 97% of carjacking

incidents, and groups with both males

and females committed 3%.

Fifty-eight percent of carjacking

incidents were committed by offenders

whom the victim perceived to be black,

and 19% were committed by offenders

perceived to be white. In 5% of

carjacking incidents, the victim(s)

reported that multiple offenders of

more than one race committed the

crime. 

Of the daytime carjacking incidents,

almost 2 in 3 were completed. Less

than half of the nighttime incidents

were completed. 

Most carjacking incidents occurred

away from the victim s home. Forty

percent occurred in an open area, such

as on the street (other than adjacent to

the victim’s home or the home of a

friend or neighbor), near a bus,

subway, or train station or near an

airport (table 4). Twenty percent

occurred in parking lots or near

commercial places like stores, restaurants, gas stations, and office

buildings. 

Although carjackings often occurred

away from the victim s home, they

usually did not occur very far away.

About 65% of carjacking incidents

occurred within 5 miles of the victim s

home. About 5% of the carjackings

happened more than 50 miles from 

the victim s home.

All of the completed carjacking

incidents identified by the survey were

reported to the police. More than half

of the attempted incidents were also

reported, according to the victims.

Carjacking victims received at least

partial recovery of their property in 7 

of 10 completed incidents. Fifteen

percent of completed carjackings

involved recovery of all property.

Incidents with partial recovery most

likely involved the recovery of vehicles

either damaged or missing stolen

articles.

 Carjackings in the United States, 1992-96 3

*Based on fewer than 10 sample cases.

a

Includes stores, gas stations, office buildings, restaurants, and other commercial places. b

Includes on the street (other than in front of victim s, neighbor s, or friend s home),

in parks, and on public transportation, such as in a bus or train station or in an airport.

More than 50 miles 5* 3* 8*

50 miles or less 30 30 29

5 miles or less 21 16* 26

1 mile or less 22 27* 18*

At/near home 22% 25% 19%*

Distance from home

Other 13 13* 14

Open area/public transportation 40 46 35 b

Commercial place/parking lot 20 16* 25 a

At or near victim’s/friend’s/neighbor’s home 26% 25% 26%

Place of occurrence

Total 100% 100% 100%

Characteristic of incident All Completed Attempted 

Percent of carjacking incidents

Table 4. Places where carjackings occurred, 1992-96

Uninjured 84%

Untreated 3

13%

Emergency room,

doctor s office,

crime scene

Injured

Percent of 

carjacking victims

Medical 

treatment

*Based on fewer than 10 sample cases.

a

Combines characteristics of carjackers 

in single-offender and multiple-offender

incidents. 

b

Includes Asians and American Indians.

Respondents also may have incorrectly

classified Hispanic offenders as belonging

to “other races.”

More than one race 5*

Other 16 b

Black 58

White 19%

Racea

Both male and female 3*

All male 97%

Sexa

2 or more 55

1 45%

Number in incident

Total 100%

Percent of 

completed 

or attempted 

and nonfatal

carjackings

Characteristic

of carjackers

Table 3. Characteristics of 

carjacking offenders, 1992-96

100 42 58

Night 

(6 p.m.-6 a.m.)

100 64 36

Day

(6 a.m.-6 p.m.)

Total 100% 50% 50%

AttemptedComAll pletedTime of 

occurrence

Attempted 57

Completed 100

All 79%

Percent of carjackings

reported to the police

*Based on fewer than 10 sample cases.

Unknown 2*

None 27

Part 56

All 15%

Percent of completed

carjackings

Recovery

of property
Thirty-five percent of completed

carjacking incidents were reported to

insurance companies. Most carjacking

victims indicated that they either had

no theft insurance or did not report 

the theft to their insurance company.

Completed carjackings were less likely

than completed motor vehicle thefts in

general to be reported to insurance

companies. 

4 Carjackings in the United States, 1992-96 

Carjacking by persons 

the victims knew

Although carjacking in this report 

is confined to robbery by strangers,

NCVS data also describe motor

vehicle theft by force by

nonstrangers. 

Strangers to the victims committed

72% of the carjacking incidents

measured by NCVS. Intimates,

such as spouses, ex-spouses,

boyfriends, or girlfriends, or relatives

committed 15%. The remainder of

the victims either said they knew the

offender as an acquaintance or did

not report to the NCVS their

relationship to the offender.

Other 14

Intimate or relative 15

Stranger 72%

Percent of violent

motor vehicle

robberies, 1992-96

Victimoffender 

relationship

Infants taken during carjackings: 

A search of news reports

One fear of carjacking is that an

infant strapped into a carseat will be

abducted. While the NCVS does not

have data on carjackings in which

infants were taken, a search of news

accounts for 12 months in 1997-98

provided some information. Eight

infants, ages 2 to 14 months, were

kidnaped in carjackings, according

to news reports.

Most of these incidents occurred

during the day. Half were at a

service station, supermarket, or

shopping center; half were on the

street or in a parking lot.

Carjackers attempted to force the

driver from the car in two incidents

and succeeded in one. Seven of the

eight infants were found shortly after

the incident, or the attempt was

foiled. At the outset most offenders

were unaware of the baby and within

a short time left the infant and/or

abandoned the car.

The National Criminal Justice Reference Service conducted the LexisNexis newspaper search for March

1997 through March 1998. The

search covered more than 2,300 

full-text information sources and

more than 1,000 abstracted sources.

Multiple references to a carjacking

with infant kidnaping were removed.

The search may have missed some

incidents, particularly attempted

carjackings and those not reported 

in newspapers or receiving only local

coverage in small newspapers.

Homicides involving motor 

vehicle theft

 

The findings presented using NCVS

data cover carjackings that did not

result in murder. The Supplemental

Homicide Reports from the FBI s

Uniform Crime Reports include information on circumstances associated

with murder. One of these circumstances is auto theft. 

It is not possible to determine how

many of these murders with auto

theft involved direct confrontation 

of the victim with carjacking as the

motive. For example, the offender or

offenders may have entered a home,

murdered the occupants, and taken

the car as an escape vehicle. 

Between 1992 and 1996 strangers

committed 49% of the 272 murders

involving auto theft. Of the nine

murder/auto thefts with a victim

under age 16, one involved multiple

murders. Possibly a victim age 16 or

older was driving a carjacked vehicle

in which an occupant under 16 was

murdered. There are insufficient

data to conclude that these (or other)

murder/auto thefts were carjackings.

These data show, however, that

carjacking involving murder is a 

rare event. If all murder/auto thefts

committed by strangers between

1992 and 1996 were carjackings,

there would have been an annual

average of 27 homicides committed

with a carjacking.

*Based on fewer than 10 sample cases.

Unknown 2* 2

63 41

No or without

insurance

Yes 35% 57%

Motor vehicle

thefts

Carjackings

Reported to 

insurance

Percent of completed &

Federal prosecution of carjacking

Each fiscal year 1992 through 1996,

U.S. attorneys filed an average of 229

carjacking cases in U.S. district

courts. In fiscal year 1996 U.S. 

attorneys declined to pursue Federal

prosecution of 137 defendants

charged with carjacking. These data

are from the BJS Federal Justice

Statistics Program. The statute

authorizing Federal prosecution for

carjacking (18 USC 2119) requires a

finding of intent to cause death or

serious bodily harm to the victim and

provides penalties of up to 25 years

for the serious bodily injury to the

victim and a possible capital sentence

if the victim is killed.
Methodology

Except for the information concerning

infants in carjackings and auto theft

involving murder (see the boxes on

page 4), this report presents data from

the National Crime Victimization

Survey (NCVS). The NCVS obtains

information about crimes from an

ongoing, nationally representative

sample of households in the United

States. NCVS data include both those

incidents reported and those not

reported to the police. Between 1992

and 1996 approximately 221,000

households and 430,000 persons 

age 12 or older were interviewed.

Response rates between 1992 and

1996 ranged from 91% to 96% of eligible households and individuals. 

Carjacking is not one of the crimes 

measured every year by the NCVS

because of an insufficient number of

cases identified annually. To measure

nonfatal carjacking over multiple years

using NCVS data, cases were selected

based on the following criteria: (a) a

completed or attempted robbery

occurred, (b) a car or other motor

vehicle, such as a truck or any other

motorized vehicle legally allowed on

public roads or highways, was taken or

an attempt was made to take such a

vehicle, and (c) the offender or offenders were strangers to the victim(s).

Because of the relatively small number

of carjacking incidents occurring

annually, findings from a sample may

not fully measure the characteristics of

carjackings. For example, although all

of the completed carjacking incidents

measured by the sample were reported

to the police, we cannot conclude that

completed carjackings are always

reported to the police. Similar caution

should be exercised in interpreting

other findings.

 

 Carjackings in the United States, 1992-96 5

The Bureau of Justice Statistics 

is the statistical agency of the 

U.S. Department of Justice. 

Jan M. Chaiken, Ph.D., is director.

BJS Special Reports address a

specific topic in depth from one 

or more datasets that cover many

topics.

Patsy Klaus wrote this report. 

Cathy Maston provided statistical

review. Callie Rennison reviewed

the completed report. Tom Hester

edited and produced the report.

Marilyn Marbrook, assisted by

Yvonne Boston and Jayne

Robinson, administered final

production.

March 1999, NCJ 171145

This report and additional data,

analyses, and graphs about criminal

victimization in the United States are

available on the Internet at

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ 

Data presented in this report can be

obtained from the National Archive

of Criminal Justice Data at the

University of Michigan, 1-800-999-

0960. The archive can also be

accessed through the BJS Web site.

When at the archive site, search for

ICPSR 6406.
6 Carjackings in the United States, 1992-96