Car Theft and Trying To Prevent It

If you haven’t had your car stolen, you have been lucky so far. Auto theft is an estimated $7.5 billion business, according to the FBI. An auto theft occurred every 23 seconds in the United States with nearly 1.4 million vehicles stolen. Auto theft frequency varied according to region, with the Southern States losing 35%, the Western States 28%, the Midwestern States 20%, and the Northeastern States with a 17% auto theft rate. Vehicle thefts rates do not vary drastically from month-to-month, however, January and July seem to have slightly higher crime rates. The lowest percentage of auto thefts occurs in February and April, probably because of fewer days in the month.

Auto theft is largely a big-city crime. Obviously, population density makes a difference in the auto theft rate, but the urban reality is that more cars are parked on the street or in open parking lots than in secured personal garages. The sheer amount of cars in urban areas makes it very difficult for the police to identify a recently stolen car from among the thousands of similar looking vehicles in traffic. The police will admit to getting lucky sometimes by recovering a recently stolen car because of a tail-light being out or when the car thief commits a minor traffic violation like speeding or failing to stop at a stop sign.

An experienced car thief can steal your car in less than a minute. Many crude thieves simply smash the drivers’ window. Most cars are seemingly stolen for the value of their parts. According to insurance companies, a $20,000 stolen vehicle can be stripped and sold into $30,000 worth of parts inventory to unscrupulous scrap and auto-body shops. Stolen cars, vans, trucks, and motorcycles cause economic hardship for victims and increase everyone's insurance premiums.

Here are some free things you can do to help prevent car theft:

* Take Your Keys. Nearly 20 percent of all vehicles stolen have the keys in them.
* Lock Your Car. Approximately 50 percent of all vehicles stolen were left unlocked.
* Never hide a second set of keys in your car. Extra keys can be easily found if a thief takes time to look.
* Park in well-lighted areas. Over half of all vehicle thefts occur at night.
* Park in attended lots. Auto thieves do not like witnesses and prefer unattended parking lots.
* If you park in an attended lot, leave only the ignition/door key. If your trunk and glovebox use the same key as the door, have one of them changed. Don't give the attendant easy access to your glovebox and trunk. Upon returning, check the tires, spare tire, and battery to be sure they are the same as those you had when you parked.
* Never leave your car running, even if you will only be gone a minute. Vehicles are commonly stolen at convenience stores, gas stations, ATMs, etc. Many vehicles are also stolen on cold mornings when the owner leaves the vehicle running to warm up.
* Completely close car windows when parking. Don't make it any easier for the thief to enter your vehicle.
* Don't leave valuables in plain view.. Don't make your car a more desirable target and attract thieves by leaving valuables in plain sight.
* Park with your wheels turned toward the curb.. Make your car tough to tow away. Wheels should also be turned to the side in driveways and parking lots.
* If your vehicle is rear-wheel drive, back into your driveway. Rear wheels lock on four-wheel drive vehicles, making them difficult to tow. Front-wheel drive vehicles should be parked front end first.
* Always use your emergency brake when parking. In addition to ensuring safety, using the emergency brake makes your car harder to tow.
* If you have a garage, use it.. If you have a garage, take the time to use it rather than parking outside where your vehicle is more vulnerable.
* When parking in a garage, lock the garage door and your vehicle. By locking both the garage and vehicle doors, the chances of deterring a thief greatly improve.
* Don't leave the registration or title in your car. A car thief will use these to sell your stolen car. File the title at your home or office, and carry registration in your purse or wallet.
* Disable your vehicle when leaving it unattended for an extended period of time. Remove the electronic ignition fuse, coil wire, rotor distributor, or otherwise disable your vehicle anytime thieves may have extended access to it.
* Replace T-Shaped door locks with straight locks. Some vehicle doors have lock assemblies at window level that flare out in a knob or "T" shape. A thief can use various tools to gain access inside the vehicle, grab and pull the lock. Straight locks prevent this.
* Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Stolen cars/parts are more easily traced when vehicle VIN numbers have been etched on car windows and major parts.
* Engrave expensive accessories. Engrave personal ID numbers on car stereos, cellular phones, etc., so the thief will have difficulty disposing of them.

Greg Chapman of Greg Chapman Motors is a knowledgeable and leading provider of used cars, trucks, and SUV’s. Since 1959, Chapman motors has supplied reliable used cars in Austin and the surrounding area and is known as one of the used cars for sale in Austin. For more information please visit http://www.gregchapmanmotors.com.