There aren’t many more sickening feelings than finding an empty space where your car is supposed to be. Victims of vehicle theft often feel personally violated. To many people their car is an extension of themselves.
This is the time of year when car thefts are most common, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That’s why it observes National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month each July.
A motor vehicle was stolen every 43.8 seconds in the United States in 2019, according to the NHTSA.
Even though cars represent a huge investment on the part of their owners and are essential to everyday life, people fail to take the threat of vehicle theft seriously. Yet nearly 750,000 vehicles were stolen in 2019, causing about $6 billion in losses.
Those statistics are upsetting enough. But it’s even more troubling that so many of those thefts were due to what authorities call driver error – actions that make it far too easy for thieves to drive away with their precious vehicles.
The Pennsylvania Vehicle Theft Prevention Authority says its biggest allies are Pennsylvania drivers themselves.
The simple habit of locking the car and taking the keys with you will significantly reduce the likelihood of having a car stolen. This seemingly commonsense measure is not as common as it should be, according to state data.
Accounting for all Pennsylvania vehicle theft task forces, more than 50% of stolen cars were left unlocked and with the keys inside.
Perhaps some of the complacency on the part of motorists is the result of considerable success in reducing the number of thefts. Some of that likely is due to improvements in anti-theft technology in newer vehicles, along with stepped up efforts at law enforcement.
Since its inception in 1994, the Pennsylvania Vehicle Theft Prevention Authority has contributed to a 77% decrease in the rate of motor vehicle thefts in the commonwealth, compared to a national decrease of 50%.
The authority funds grants to task forces around the state thanks to funding from auto insurance companies doing business in Pennsylvania. They target the individual joy rider out to steal a car as well as complex, sophisticated international theft rings that smuggle high-end vehicles overseas.
All of us should applaud these successes, but the numbers could be even lower if people were just a bit more careful.
For example, there are cases when people leave keys in their car or keep a spare in a center console, Reading police Criminal Investigator Keith Merkel, who takes part in a regional vehicle crimes task force, told the Reading Eagle.
Merkel said that sometimes people who break into vehicles looking for change wind up taking a car instead, because someone presented them with an easy opportunity.
Vehicle theft presents problems beyond the loss of a ride. Stolen cars could be used by criminals to commit violent crimes. Glove compartments often include plenty of personal information that could be used to steal the owner’s identity. If there’s a remote garage door opener, that makes the owner’s house an easy target, too.
Here are some tips from law-enforcement and transportation safety experts on keeping your vehicle where it belongs:
* Take the key, even if you’re leaving for a minute or two.
* Lock your car.
* If possible, park in a well-lit area that’s in plain view.
* Don’t assume your car is too old to steal; thieves want vehicle parts and valuable items, too.
* Do not leave your car unlocked, running and unattended. It only takes seconds to steal a vehicle.
* Don’t leave valuables in your car. That includes cellphones, mail, garage door openers, wallets and computers. They attract thieves and open the door to other crimes.
It’s a shame to see people victimized by a crime that can be so easy to prevent. Don’t make it easy for the thieves.
