It seems that Hollywood makes car theft seem glamorous and only occurs to celebrities, criminals on lamb, movie stars, and people with very cool cars. They don’t tell people that hundreds of thousands of cars are stolen each year in the United States. And not all of them have a sky-blue Porsche with a sunroof. Honda sedans are often in the top five. Auto theft isn’t as common as people think. It’s up to you, your auto insurance company, and you to ensure your car is safe while you’re driving around the city.
You should make sure that your car is covered by comprehensive auto insurance if you live in an area where there is a high risk of theft. You should have comprehensive insurance. It’s a good idea to have it. But if thieves try to steal your car’s parts, it’s important to have coverage.
Any of the 50+ national auto insurance companies that do business in the U.S. can replace your car as long as you have comprehensive coverage. This means that even though you may be inconvenienced by having to find an alternative way to get to work for a few weeks, you won’t have to dip into your savings to pay the car payment.
Professional lenders are not as sensitive as they should be to your car being stolen. They want you to repay the money they loaned, regardless of whether you still have a car to drive.
Your auto insurance provider may be replacing your car, but that doesn’t mean your car should be left on the streets with “Free to Good Home.” written on it. You can keep your car safe and lower your auto insurance rates by investing in additional security measures. Take, for example:
1) Lock your car whenever you aren’t going to be there, even if you’re only visiting the shop for a moment. Hot wiring your car takes less than five minutes for an experienced thief to do and you can be back on the roads in no time. You don’t want to stare at your car cruising along without you, while you paid for gas.
2) Never leave your keys unattended in your car’s front seat or ignition.
3) Install car alarms, fuel switches, and GPS locator systems to protect your car. This will make your car less dangerous and can reduce your annual auto insurance premiums by 10% to 15%.
While auto theft is a natural part of human life, it can be prevented with careful care, a keen eye, and good auto insurance.
