The total number of motor vehicle thefts fell 6% to 13,629 across Australia in the September 2011 quarter.

The data, collected by the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NMVTRC), indicates a spike in thefts earlier in 2011 has been reversed.

Executive Director Ray Carroll says the council was “concerned in the first and second quarters of 2011 that there had been a rise in thefts in Queensland and WA”.

“We were worried it was going to be the new start of a new trend, but it’s come back in the following quarter,” Mr Carroll told insuranceNEWS.com.au.

“In the 12-month comparison it’s only up 2.8% and with that decline we expect to see the 2011 year even out. While it hasn’t gone down we aren’t expecting it to go up.”

There was a 5% decline in the number of cars stolen to 11,163 in the July to September quarter and a 6% fall in motorcycle thefts to 1803.

Mr Carroll says the NMVTRC has started the new year with the launch of a new online tool for the motor industry to help analysts better fine-tune their theft research.

The “Cars Analyser” provides access to more than a million theft records from January 2000 and allows 25 search variables including motivation, body type and vehicle age.

The council’s development team has taken the analyser on a national roadshow of insurers and other industry stakeholders.

“It’s a new generation of flexibility and detail that they can tailor to their own search requirements,” he said.