Christmas brings Santa, presents, and car thieves

Now is the time of year when people are happy and joyous. You may be storing items in your trunk as you go from store to store trying to find the best bargains for Christmas gifts. However, thieves are making their lists and checking it twice because they are going shopping too but for your car and any items that you might have in them.
A study has found that Christmas is the holiday in which most vehicles are broken into or stolen talk about holiday spirit- Bahumbug! The National Crime Information Center has reported that on Christmas day in 2010, 2,347 cars were stolen. This is just above Memorial Day which reported 2,122 thefts.
Drivers need to arm themselves so that they can reduce the likelihood that they will become a statistics this Christmas. Park in a driveway or close to homes that have lights on. This can scare off thieves because they do not want to be spotted by potential witnesses. Never leave your car at a train station, bus depot, or airport if you are going anywhere like this take a cab and leave your vehicle at home.
Always keep your car door locked and consider installing an anti-theft device on your steering wheel. Do not leave gifts, luggage, or any other items in your trunk because thieves can break into a trunk in seconds. More than 20,000 cars were stolen just during the holidays alone in 2010 which is down from more than 22,000 in 2009.
If you can, you should buy a vehicle that has a car alarm pre-installed in it. The noise may scare away thieves because it draws attention from people who happen to pass by. If you will be leaving your vehicle outdoors at night, park in a well-lit area that is near or directly under a street lamp. If you are proactive then hopefully your car will not be broken into this Christmas.
Source: The Sacramento Bee