Steps That Can Help You Avoid Having Your Car Stolen

Although car theft in the United States decreases slightly every year, it’s still a significant problem. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), the U.S. motor vehicle theft rate in 2007 was 363.3 per 100,000 people. Every 28.8 seconds a car is stolen (2008 FBI data). Theft of components is also a problem, with 75,000 stolen airbags a year reported by the III. The problem is worst in urban areas. The South and West each account for about 36 percent of all car thefts in the country. Taken together, these two regions were the scene of nearly three-quarters of motor vehicle thefts in the United States.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reported in 2007 that fewer than 60 percent of car theft victims ever got their vehicles back. Many of those vehicles were returned with body damage and expensive parts stripped off, requiring extensive repairs and body shop work. Law enforcement officials stress the need to call the police immediately if your car is stolen, but the recovery numbers are dismal. The best way to deal with car theft is to take these steps to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.

* Lock up. Newer cars are easier than ever to secure when you step away even for a few minutes, with automatic locks and remote key fobs. Close your sunroof and roll up your windows before you leave. Avoid starting your car to warm it up unless you’re sitting in it. An idling vehicle with the keys in the ignition takes mere seconds to steal and drive away.

* Invest in a garage if you can. If you have a garage, you can increase your car’s security (and your own) by always locking it. If you don’t have a garage, parking in your driveway is safer than a spot at the curb. Away from home, pick your parking spots carefully and avoid poorly lit, low-traffic streets, especially after dark.

* Don’t make thieves’ job easier. Crime experts warn against leaving a spare key hidden in or on the vehicle, because car thieves know all the good hiding spots for a spare key. Keep your vehicle papers with you and make a set for each driver in the family, instead of leaving them in the glove box. Keep the inside of your car clean and empty. Take your cell phone, music player, and other electronic devices with you when you leave the car, and never leave a purse, briefcase, or closed bag in plain sight while you’re gone.

* Consider buying a car alarm or other vehicle protection device to save yourself the time and expense of dealing with the theft of your vehicle.

An inexpensive anti-theft device consists of a heavy steel clamp that fits over your steering wheel to keep a car thief from steering it after stealing it. You carry the key to the device on your key ring. Although these devices can be jimmied by a determined crook, this takes extra time, and car thieves like to work quickly.

The popularity of car alarms is testimony to their effectiveness, and every year they get better. The latest improvements in vehicle security technology consist of highly efficient sensors that detect signs of theft like changes in air pressure, telltale sounds like shattering glass, and changes in elevation from front to rear or side to side. Thieves who jack up your car to remove the wheels or use a tow vehicle to steal your car now have less chance of success. Even the basic alarm consisting of a pressure switch on each door hooked to a siren or the car’s horn can go a long way toward chasing off the would-be car thief.

The kill switch is a relatively new development in vehicle security. These anti-theft devices work by keeping your car from starting unless you supply the correct inputs. Special ignition keys that release a radio signal to unlock your car’s starting system are especialy popular. Other lockout devices may disable your car’s fuel or electrical system while you’re away.

New tracking technologies have become standard equipment on high-end vehicles. Global positioning systems (GPS) can help law enforcement find your vehicle after a theft. Police can also track a vehicle using a tracking systems with a hidden transmitter to allow police to track the vehicle. An example of this type of system is the LoJack, which operates over half of the states in the U.S. Law enforcement likes these systems because they frequently lead to chop shops and other illegal theft operations and the arrest of criminals.

Certain vehicles are frequent targets for car thieves, especially high-end sport utility vehicles. The Cadillac Escalade and the Hummer were featured last year in an ABC News article on the most stolen cars in the U.S. Models among the least likely to be stolen are the Mercedes E Class, Buick Rainier and Subaru Forester.

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