Take My Car, Please
Buyingadvice.com readers are apparently a security-conscious lot, according to a recent survey conducted by the car-buying site. Among the more than 3,000 respondents to a recent survey on vehicle security, 93 percent said they've never had their cars or trucks broken into in the last five years. Better than 80 percent said they hadn't done anything careless, like leaving the keys in the ignition or the car doors unlocked, in the last 12 months. Over half already have a security system installed, while more than 65 percent said that having a security device installed will be important to them when they buy their next car.
Yet this also means that 32.1 percent of those responding to the survey reported having no security device in place (and another 1.8 percent said they have one, but never use it), and nearly 20 percent admitted to all but inviting thieves to target their vehicles through inattentive behavior.
A total of 1,192,809 vehicles were stolen last year, according to the Des Plaines, Illinois-based industry group, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). This translates into one car or truck pinched every 26.4 seconds. Using the FBI's average valuation of $6,649 per stolen vehicle, that figure amounts to over $7.9 billion in losses. And this does not count the billions of dollars lost as a result of break-in thefts, including vehicle damage and property loss.
To help from becoming part of these statistics in the future, car shoppers can start by choosing a model that's less likely to be stolen in the first place, which was considered important by around 11 percent of survey participants. Unfortunately, that may be easier said than done for many buyers, given that the models that are most likely to be stolen are often among the top sellers. For 2006, the most purloined vehicles in the nation, according to the NICB, were:
- 1995 Honda Civic
- 1991 Honda Accord
- 1989 Toyota Camry
- 1997 Ford F-150 Series Pickup
- 2005 Dodge Ram Pickup
- 1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 Pickup
- 1994 Nissan Sentra
- 1994 Dodge Caravan
- 1994 Saturn SL
- 1990 Acura Integra
What's more, the NICB says the types of cars being stolen vary according to regional preferences. While mainstream Japanese-brand cars were the most-purloined models in states like California, Florida and Oregon, full-size domestic pickups were the rides of choice for the unlawful in Iowa, Mississippi and Texas.
According to the NICB, only 59 percent of stolen vehicles were recovered last year, which is the lowest recovery rate in over a decade. Many sporty and luxury models are crated, shipped and sold to overseas buyers. Other, more common, models are taken to so-called chop shops where they are dismantled. Older versions of popular models like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are targeted because they're worth more money as an amalgam of recycled repair parts than they are as unified used cars.
So what's a motorist to do, aside from ensuring his or her insurance premiums are paid up? "People can take any number of precautions to protect themselves from vehicle theft and, in most cases, those are sufficient," says Robert M. Bryant, president and chief executive officer of the NICB. "But a determined thief, a serial vehicle thief, is someone for whom there is no absolute deterrent-except prison."
Bryant says you can protect yourself by correcting bad habits, such as leaving the keys in the ignition when the vehicle is unattended (a sin committed in the last year by almost three percent of survey respondents), and always keep the windows and sunroof closed (something five percent of those polled admitted to having ignored).
Michael McCann, president of McCann Protective Services in New York City, advises motorists to park in a well lit or well-traveled area after dark, something about three percent of survey participants said they'd failed to do in the last year. "A common mistake is to park a vehicle in the daytime without thinking whether your parking area is remote and in an unlit area come evening," he says.
Never leave packages or a purse or briefcase in plain sight within the vehicle (which more than three percent of respondents claim to have done), and be sure to take any removable items, like a portable DVD system or navigation system, with you each time you leave the vehicle. "Even if the windows are closed, it's a common practice for thieves to smash the window, reach into the vehicle and steal a purse or other personal belongings," McCann says.
Experts also advise having your car or truck's vehicle identification number (often called a "VIN," it's found on the driver's side of the dashboard, as well as on the car's title) etched on the windshield and major components to make them more difficult for chop shops to sell as replacement parts.
Beyond the common-sense basics, the NICB recommends using an antitheft device, which will often also warrant a discount on your car insurance. Having a simple ignition "kill switch" installed in a hidden location makes it more difficult for a crook to start a car or truck and drive it away. Advanced vehicle recovery devices like LoJack and General Motors' OnStar system use technology similar to that employed in satellite navigation systems to help police departments locate cars and trucks if they are stolen. They can be pricey and require a monthly subscription, but if you own an expensive high-profile car, the cost is usually warranted.
Published on Thursday, November 8, 2007 - Email to a friend
Copyright 2008 BuyingAdvice.com, INC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.
Find New Cars
About Us | Email Us | Directory | Webmaster Resources | Site Map |
