For the majority of Americans, motor vehicles serve as their primary mode of transportation, often rendering them indispensable parts of daily lives. What would you do if your vehicle suddenly disappeared? Over 750,000 drivers each year fall victim to the costly crime of vehicle theft. In 2016, the cost of stolen vehicles totaled nearly $6 billion.
To raise awareness about the issue, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has designated July as Vehicle Theft Prevention Month. Read on for tips on how you can prevent it from happening to you.
Vehicle theft statistics
First, it's important to frame the problem as the epidemic it is: A motor vehicle is stolen every 41 seconds in the U.S. The three states with the most vehicles stolen in 2016 were California, Texas and Florida. In 2017, a total of 773,139 motor vehicles were stolen.
How to protect yourself
While it is difficult to predict when a vehicle theft will take place, there are steps you can take to make sure you're as protected as possible:
- Use common sense when parking and exiting your vehicle. Take your vehicle's key; don't leave it in or on your vehicle. Close and lock all windows and doors when you park. Park in well-lit areas if possible.
- Never leave valuables in your vehicle, especially if they can be seen from outside the vehicle. Radios and wheel covers aren't the only popular vehicle parts thieves take; they want vehicle parts and valuable items, too. Some of the most popular vehicle parts or valuable items stolen from vehicles include doors, engines, transmissions, air bags, radios, GPS units, cell phones, iPads, laptops and purses.
There are also numerous antitheft systems and devices specifically designed to make vehicles more difficult to steal or easier to trace and recover:
- Audible and visual devices: These devices, such as a horn alarm, deter theft by bringing attention to an unauthorized attempt to steal or enter a vehicle. Visible devices create a visual threat or warning as a deterrent, such as steering wheel locks, theft-deterrent decals, flashing lights or window etchings.
- Immobilizing-type devices: These prevent thieves from bypassing a vehicle's ignition system and hot-wiring the vehicle. Some incorporate computer chips in ignition keys or disable the flow of electricity or fuel to the engine.
- Vehicle recovery systems: These devices use electronic transmission technology that helps law enforcement reveal the location of stolen vehicles -- and possibly catch the thief in the act.
What to do if your vehicle is stolen
If you become a victim of vehicle theft, follow these steps:
- Contact police immediately to file a stolen vehicle report. You will need a copy of the police report and/or a case number to provide to your insurance company. You may also be asked to provide your license plate number; the make, model and color of your vehicle; and your vehicle's vehicle identification number (VIN).
- Contact your insurance company to file a claim within 24 hours of your vehicle being stolen.
- If you find your vehicle before authorities do, contact the police and your insurance company immediately.
NHTSA has set the standard to help vehicle owners address vehicle theft issues by continuously implementing and enforcing antitheft regulations for over 25 years. Such regulations require vehicle manufacturers to label major vehicle components and replacement parts so authorities can better attempt to trace and recover stolen parts and also encourage manufacturers to install passive antitheft devices like immobilizer systems as standard equipment on their vehicles.
For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov or call (888) 327-4236.
