Call 911! My Car Has Been Stolen!

Every 27 seconds. That's how often a car is stolen in the United States according to the The Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 2000 one car in every 196 was stolen. The FBI placed the cost of auto theft at $7.8 billion in 2000, up from $7 billion in 1999.

On November 4, 2002 the FBI released its Uniform Crime Report. In the report they stated motor vehicle thefts in 2001 were up 5.7% over 2000.

According to State Farm Insurance company,motor vehicle theft is still the most expensive property crime in the United States.

Odds of your vehicle being stolen are highest if you live in an urban area. Some of the highest rates of vehicle theft appear in the South accounting for 35.3% of the nation's total, followed closely by the West with 30.5%, the Midwest at 20%, and finally the Northeastern states with 14% of the total.

The 1989 Toyota Camry led the pack of stolen vehicles in 2002 followed closely by the 1994 Honda Accord and the 2000 Honda Civic. One reason put forth for the staggering theft of Toyotas and Hondas is because they are popular cars with a long, strong
history of U.S. sales. They are stolen simply because they are so numerous and so desirable. The most popular color of stolen car is white followed by red and blue respectively.

The two days with the highest frequency of auto theft are Friday and Saturday according to data the FBI compiled from the National Incident-Based Reporting System and the National Crime Information Center. By contrast, the highest stolen vehicle recovery rates occur on Monday and Tuesday. The same studies have found that vehicles are stolen more in the second half of any given year. If they are recovered at all, most vehicles are recovered in the same month in which they were stolen.

A study published by the National Incident-Based Reporting System in 1999 showed that 35.31% of thefts took place in or near the residence or home, 22.75% happened in a parking lot or garage, and 17.96% of stolen vehicles were taken on highways, roads or alleys.

State farm Insurance Company ( www.statefarm.com ) states by 1994 only 18%of recovered stolen vehicles had no apparent
damage, 31% had been stripped, 31% were vandalized or had missing parts, 16% were wrecked, and 4% were burned or flooded.

Given all these statistics, all car owners should exercise some measures to prevent this happening to them. Here are some things that can be done to stop that thief from stealing your car:

--Always lock your vehicle even in your own driveway, even in your garage.

--Consider using one of the many anti-theft devices available like The Club ( www.theclub.com ).

--As annoying as they can be, pay attention to, and respond to your car's alarm. It is there for a reason.

--Join Stolen Car Reports.com ( www.stolencarreports.com ) and help your community recover stolen cars.

--Consider purchasing a Vinetcher Do-It-Yourself kit ( www.vinetcher.com). It etches your Vehicle Identification Number on your car windows. This website states vin etched cars have a 64% lower theft rate than non-etched cars.

--Register your vehicle in the National Vehicle Identification Program ( www.nvip.info). NVIP says they will pay $1,000 to anyone providing information resulting in the recovery of an NVIP registered vehicle and conviction of the thief.

State Farm Insurance Company states the fight against auto theft is hampered by public indifference and the low priority given it by law enforcement, but things are changing. After a brutal theft and killing in Maryland, Congress, moved by public outrage, passed a major anti-car theft bill.

Think it can't happen to you? That's what my family thought too...until last week when my daughter and son-in-law lost their Honda Accord to a thief.