Victoria Police statistics show vehicle thefts in the state increased 11.5% last year, and RACV Insurance says theft claims rose almost 9%.

RACV Insurance received an average of 18 claims a week for vehicle theft, costing $11 million over the year.

The average claim for theft is almost $12,000, while the average figure for malicious damage is $3000.

GM Insurance Paul Northey says $3.5 million of malicious damage claims were made for 1079 incidents in Victoria last year, down 9% on 2013.

Most involved vandals breaking into vehicles, smashing windows and keying or scratching bonnets and car roofs.

“We assume night is the danger time for damage to be inflicted and for cars to be stolen, but evidence shows vandals and car thieves are most active between 6am and midday,” he said.

The car model with the highest incidence of malicious damage and theft last year was the Holden Commodore, while the Melbourne City Council area provided the highest number of claims.