Car Theft A Big Problem In CA Cities

Car theft is something that impacts drivers in all of the 50 states. There are ten cities that have more instances of car thefts than others. The number one worst city for car theft is Fresno, California according to a recent report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The city has more than 7,600 car thefts per year.
Many drivers ask are car thefts currently on the rise due to the bad economy? No, actually car thefts are actually dropping; they dropped in 2011 and 2010. The number of car thefts in the United States has decreased by 3.3%. There were more than 700,000 car thefts across the country. The drop in crime could be due to the fact that cars have more advanced computer systems in them so it is harder to steal them.

Most new cars have keys with computer chips in them which mean that only that key will unlock the door and start the ignition.
Some models of cars now come with factory equipped anti-theft devices. If you want to help to reduce the likelihood that your vehicle will wind up being stolen then you should consider looking for a model of car with this feature. Car insurance companies typically offer drivers of these vehicles a discount because they have a safety feature that can reduce car theft.
There are many ways to help protect your vehicle from being stolen. For example, an audible car alarm can be placed in the car. These can cost a hundred dollars or more and they are great because they will make noise when someone tries to get into the car without a key.
One downside to this type of alarm is that it does not instantly alert police to the fact that your car might be being stolen.

Car alarms like this often go ignored because they often sound if someone accidentally hits the car when walking by. It can be a good deterrent though because thieves do not want attention drawn to themselves.
Another great feature is a steering wheel lock. This can prevent thieves from being able to turn the steering wheel even if they have broken into the car. These cost less than $100 and you can find them at auto parts stores and online.
A third feature is a steering column collar. This costs less than $200 and can be installed so that thieves cannot use your steering wheel column to hot wire your car. It is important to have as many safety features on your vehicle because anyone can be a car theft victim. If your car does not have comprehensive coverage then an insurance claim for theft will not be paid out so getting these items can be a lifesaver.