Stolen Cars – Not Mine!

We have read about it and heard about it on the news, somebody’s car getting stolen. But we never can imagine it happening to us. The fact of the matter is, if it hasn’t happened to you, then you have been lucky as statistically, a car is stolen every 23 seconds in the United States with a total of nearly 1.4 million vehicles stolen in all. According to the FBI, auto theft is an estimated $7.5 billion business,

Where is your car most likely to get stolen at? According to statistics, certain regions of the United States are more susceptible to theft than others. The highest amount of auto theft occurs in the Southern states, at a 35% rate. This is followed by Western states at 28%, Midwestern states at 20%, the last is Northeastern States 17%.

Is there a time of year that cars are stolen more often? Not really. Crime rates only increase slightly between January and July. The lowest percentage of auto thefts occurs in February and April, probably because of fewer days in the month.

If you live in a small town, your percentages drop even more in regards to the theft averages. Most auto thefts typically occur in larger cities. Again, this may just be a matter of numbers due to the fact that there are more cars in cities and more people are parking on the streets or in open parking lots. In rural areas people tend to have garages or big properties with long driveways. Theft rarely occurs in rural yards that have dogs and seem more obscure.

If you are hoping to recover your car, again, you are more likely to have better results if you live in a small town or rural area. This is again due to the fact that there are fewer people and a smaller search area and therefore the police don’t have to search as hard as police in large cities. In large cities there could be thousands of similar looking vehicles in traffic, making it difficult to pick out the stolen car.

How long does it take for a thief to steal your car? Statistics show that an experienced car thief can steal your car in less than a minute. While some cars are hot-wired other thieves may just smash the drivers’ window in. For the most part, cars are seemingly stolen for the value of their parts rather than resale or personal use. According to insurance companies, a $20,000 stolen vehicle can be stripped and sold into $30,000 worth of parts.

Now, if you live in the city and are getting concerned, not to worry. There are some precautions you can take to help make the statistics favorable to you. They include:
• Never hide a second set of keys in your car. Extra keys can be easily found if a thief takes time to look.
• Lock Your Car. Approximately 50 percent of all vehicles stolen were left unlocked.
• 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.
• Take Your Keys. Nearly 20 percent of all vehicles stolen have the keys in them.
• Park in well-lighted areas. Over half of all vehicle thefts occur at night.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Engrave expensive accessories. Engrave personal ID numbers on car stereos, cellular phones, etc., so the thief will have difficulty disposing of them.
• 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.

Practice these simple steps and get into the habit of doing them time and again, and you won’t have to worry as much in being a statistic of car theft.

Greg Chapman of Greg Chapman Motors is a knowledgable 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. For more information please visit http://www.gregchapmanmotors.com.