Facts

• According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), an auto theft occurs about every 26 seconds in the United States. That's 1.2 million vehicles that wind up in the hands of thieves each year. Vehicles are stolen by joyriders, organized crime rings and carjackers. About 62 percent of stolen vehicles are recovered (some with significant damage). Unrecovered vehicles usually wind up in the hands of the criminals, being shipped overseas, stripped at a chop shop for parts or resold to another consumer. Your car may even be vandalized by criminals looking to get money for your car's stereo or airbag, by reselling them to a pond shop or parts dealer.
  
  

Insurance

• Vehicle theft is America's number one property crime and is estimated to cost $7.6 billion every year. We all pay for these crimes through increased insurance rates. According to the Insurance Information Institute, about one-third of a typical comprehensive auto insurance premium goes to pay for auto theft claims. To offset this problem, some insurance companies will cut your rates if you have certain security devices installed.
  
  

Benefits

• The benefit of car security is that it can deter or defeat a criminal from breaking into or stealing your vehicle, by employing some type of protection system. This system could deter criminals before they do damage to your vehicle, or slow their progress once they've gained access into your vehicle, causing them to be noticed by onlookers who may call the police.
  
  

Types

• The NICB recommends these layers of protection:
  
  1. Common Sense--Parking in a safe, well-lighted area, keeping valuables out of plain sight, closing your windows, locking your doors and taking your keys. These simple tasks require no add-ons to your vehicle, just good old common sense.
  
  2. Visible or Audible Device--Warning stickers or vehicle identification number (VIN) etching on your windows, a bright flashing LED light on your dashboard, steering wheel locks, steering column collars, wheel locks and audible alarm systems.
  
  3. Vehicle Immobilizer--Computer chip smart ignition key, kill switches, fuse cut-offs, ignition and fuel disablers.
  
  4. Tracking System--A tracking system installed in your vehicle sends a signal to the police when you report it stolen, so they can recover your vehicle faster. If you have an activated vehicle emergency assistance system, you could use it to report someone who is threatening to carjack you.
  
  

Considerations

• Most of the security devices mentioned are reasonably priced for today's consumer. Some of the more inexpensive items can even be installed by you with only a few hand tools.
  
  

Expert Insight

• If you think that by using one or many of these theft-deterrent devices, you will stop a criminal from breaking into and stealing your car, you are wrong! These devices deter, not stop. In extreme cases, a vehicle's electrical system (including the alarm) can be shorted out and hauled away by a tow truck.