Is Your Car a Theft Target?
Every 20 seconds, a vehicle is said to be stolen in the United States. In fact, auto theft is such a big business that if it were legalized and incorporated, it would rank 56th among the Fortune 500 companies!
Recently, CNN/Money reported a list of the most stolen cars in the U.S. last year. According to the article, of the top 10 most-stolen vehicles in 2004, six were Japanese brands. All four domestic vehicles on the list are light trucks, including one minivan. These were numbers from NICB statistics which were based on data from the FBI Uniform Crime Report. A total of 1,237,114 personal motor vehicles were reported stolen in 2004.
The list:
1. 1995 Honda Civic
2. 1989 Toyota Camry
3. 1991 Honda Accord
4. 1994 Dodge Caravan
5. 1994 Chevrolet Full Size C/K 1500 pick-up
6. 1997 Ford F-150 pick-up
7. 2003 Dodge Ram pick-up
8. 1990 Acura Integra
9. 1988 Toyota pick-up
10. 1991 Nissan Sentra
Clearly, new vehicles are not the only targets for car thieves. Older model vehicles are also very desirable – mainly because as vehicles get older they require parts more frequently, creating demand for parts taken from stolen cars. Thieves look for vehicles that can be resold quickly or stripped for parts. It doesn’t matter if your car is a ten year-old Nissan Sentra, a brand new Dodge Caravan, or a three-year-old Ford F-150 with new Auto Parts Inner grilles – if it’s an easy target, the thief will take it. Remember that a vehicle's parts can be worth two to three times the value of the vehicle. Sadly, no vehicle or anti-theft device is 100% theft-proof and discouraging thieves is not an easy task.
So what’s the most effective way to guard your vehicles against theft?
Using common sense is always the first step for every car owner in theft prevention. A common sense approach to theft prevention includes such practices as always locking your car - no matter how briefly it will be unattended. In addition to always locking your car's doors and windows, common sense theft prevention also includes such practices as parking in well-lit areas and never leaving your keys (or a spare key) in the car.
Aside from using one’s common sense, other theft prevention steps include installing warning devices (car alarms, steering wheel locking devices, wheel locks, brake pedal locks, theft-deterrent decals, identification markers, and window etching); immobilization devices (smart keys, kill switches, starter/ignition/fuel disablers); and tracking devices. These devices can be expensive, but it will make a wise investment especially if your car is a favorite or a magnet to thieves. It is solely up to you to take responsible measures to protect your vehicle from thieves.
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