If you don’t think car theft is something that could happen to you, consider that in 2014, nearly 45% of the 689,527 vehicles reported stolen in the US have never been recovered.

And no, that’s not all. In fact, the statistics are rather worrying. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in the United States, a car is stolen every 46 seconds and nearly half of all vehicle thefts happen because of something the driver did or didn’t do.

If you want to keep your vehicle safe, there are a few things you need to be aware of. First of all, know your surroundings, because in 2014, people living in California, Texas, Florida, Washington, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Arizona and Missouri were more likely to have their car stolen then people living in cities outside of this “top 10”.

Also, passenger cars make up about 75% of all stolen vehicles, and looking over the list of the top 10 stolen vehicles from 2014 would have you notice that Japanese models such as the Honda Accord, Civic and the Toyota Camry are the ones that go missing the most. Outside the top 3 you have the Silverado, the F-150, the Econoline, F-250, Nissan Altima, Toyota Corolla and GM GMT-400 in this precise order.

So what can you do in order to protect your car? You can start by not making your vehicle such an easy target. This means using common sense and always locking it up. Make sure never to leave your keys in or on your vehicle, always close the windows, shut off the engine (if you plan on leaving), park in well-lit areas and if possible, use a garage.

Of course, don’t leave any valuables in your car, but if you do, make sure they’re out of sight – because while it may not result in your vehicle being stolen, it could still get broken into.

As for what types of antitheft systems and devices you could use, the horn alarm immediately springs to mind as a very efficient audible system. Using steering-wheel locks can also be efficient, as can theft-deterrent decals, flashing lights and window etching.

An Immobilizing-Type Device can stop thieves from bypassing your car’s ignition system and starting the vehicle. Some of these devices use computer chips in the ignition key and can even disable the flow of electricity or fuel to the engine.

If your car has already been stolen, having a Vehicle Recovery System in place would be of major help, since this type of tech can lead law enforcement directly to the location of your stolen vehicle. However, if you don’t employ such a system on your car and it has already been stolen, you need to call the police immediately and file a stolen-vehicle report – which you then send over to your insurance company. Also, make sure to contact your insurance company to file a claim within 24 hours.

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