Did you know that certain makes of cars are stolen most often? Here’s a list of the top ten cars that are stolen every year:
Honda Civic
Nissan Sentra
Toyota pick-up truck
Toyota Camry
Dodge Caravan
Chevy full size 1500 pick-up truck
Honda Accord
Acura Integra
Dodge Ram
Ford F150 truck
It is important to note that if you own one of these vehicles, (and also depending on the area in which you keep your vehicle) your car insurance rate may increase due to the theft rate of these automobiles.
To keep your car (no matter what the make) from being stolen and adding to the statistics, below are some steps to avoid becoming a victim of auto theft.
• Lock the Car It takes just a moment for someone to steal your car. Lock it, even if you are only going to be away from it for a few minutes. Never leave your keys in the ignition. It is just too easy and too tempting for someone to steal it. Be sure ALL the doors are locked so that nobody can slip into the back passenger seats while you are away. There have been reports of would-be criminals sneaking into backseats (of women’s cars particularly) while women were inside paying for gas at service stations. Remember, it’s not only your car you want to protect, but your own safety, as well.
• Hide or Remove Valuables Remove or hide items like MP3 players, expensive car stereos, gifts, luggage, cell phones, sunglasses, ipods, money, credit cards, checkbooks, cigarettes, etc. Quite often, thieves are not interested in stealing your car, but rather valuables inside of the car. Don’t let these items be in plain view. Better yet, remove them from the car.
• Tricked Out Cars are Magnets If you add fancy accessories to your vehicle, you are drawing attention to it. Fancy paint jobs, spoilers, expensive rims, body kits, and the like make it more attractive to a thief. Store your showy vehicles out of sight from car-lovers and thieves.
• Install Security Systems The truth is, a skilled auto thief can thwart nearly any type of security device. However, some security systems can at the very least scare away or slow down any would-be thieves.
Fortunately, there are a variety of auto security systems to choose from. Visit Auto Security to read more about Vehicle Security Devices.