How To Protect Your Car Against Theft

By Author: Norris Rios
Total Articles: 572
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We sometimes forget how big the US actually is. It's a major continental landmass and home to slightly more than 300 million people. Perhaps it's therefore not so surprising that, every 40 seconds, a vehicle is stolen. Human nature being selfish, there's always a temptation to take what you want rather than pay for it. Yet, when you see the scale of the crime, you also have to see how we are all victimized. Only about half the vehicles stolen are recovered. The remainder are either resprayed and sold on with new tags, or broken down for spares. This stopped being a problem with joyriders years ago. It's a professional operation now with a turnover in the billions. So with the chances of you ever seeing your vehicle again only 50%, the value of the claims made is high. Insurance companies are for-profit. That means the cost of all these claims gets divided between us through higher premiums. How much more do we pay? The Insurance Information Institute estimates theft claims add about about 25% to the current rate for comprehensive coverage.

Just think how many people carry insurance and make your guess of how many billions ...
... of dollars are poured into this black hole of crime every year. Yes, it's that big a number and then some. So how should you react? Well, no matter what you do, a determined thief will always be able to take your vehicle - even if it means lifting it on to a truck and carrying it away. But there are a number of things you can do to slow down the thief. Then it's all costs and benefits. Thieves like to be "gone in sixty seconds". It reduces the risk of them being identified and caught. So if a thief can see basic precautions in place, he may well pick something less well protected. Now how much did those precautions cost?

Well, it costs you nothing to remember to remove your keys, close the windows and lock the doors. Try parking in a well-lit area with a lot of people passing. Then fit a visible and strong steering wheel lock. The Club is the best known and good value. Sure it takes you a minute to fit and then unlock when you come back. But it improves the chances there will be a vehicle to come back to. The next step up is an immobilizer. One of the best is made by Ravelco. Once you remove the plug, you cannot start your vehicle even with the ignition key. The final level of protection is from a tracking device like LoJack with GPS to guide the police to your vehicle's location.

With sensible precautions in place, tell your insurer. The next auto insurance quotes coming your way will always include a discount as a reward for improving security. Hopefully you will now avoid all the hassle and financial losses caused by a theft, and see your car insurance rates fall to more manageable levels. Your insurance may never be "cheap" but at least you should see it becoming more affordable.