Protect Your Car From Thieves

It is possible either you or somebody you know has had a car stolen. If not, you have been lucky. Auto theft is an estimated $7.5 billion business, according to the FBI. A car is stolen every 23 seconds in the United States with a total of nearly 1.4 million vehicles stolen altogether.

Statistically, theft varies according to region with the Southern States losing 35%, the Western States 28%, the Midwestern States 20%, and the Northeastern States 17%. Even though there aren’t any particular months were cars are stolen more, between January and July, crime rates increase slightly. The lowest percentage of auto thefts occurs in February and April, probably because of fewer days in the month.

Most auto thefts do not occur in small towns but more typically in larger cities. The urban reality is that more cars are parked on the street or in open parking lots than in secured personal garages or in rural yards. Add to that the sheer amount of cars in urban areas and statistics can’t help but go up. As for police, having a large city to search through in finding a stolen car, makes it even more difficult as there are thousands of similar looking vehicles in traffic.

Statistics show that an experienced car thief can steal your car in less than a minute. Some cars are hot-wired while 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.

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

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Practice these few simple things and you may not be a victim of car theft.


David Etienne is the founder of FIX-A-DENT, the premier provider of Professional Paintless Dent Repair services in the United States. Established in 1993, FIX-A-DENT continues being the leader in Paintless Dent Removal (PDR), technologies, practices, and techniques. For more information, please visit http://www.fixadent.com