How To Avoid Auto Theft

I heard an amazing statistic the other day: 35,000 cars are stolen every year in my home state of Washington.  Over the 50 years that I'll be driving cars, that projects to 1.75 million stolen cars.  There are 5.6 million cars registered in Washington.  So there's about a 30% chance that I'll have a car stolen in my lifetime!  Car theft is a problem everywhere, and the situation is especially bad near urban areas.

To make sure it doesn't happen to you, consider buying the AutoLock or the Barricade, two effective and inexpensive anti-theft devices.  The Barricade (which is a steering-wheel lock that functions much like "The Club" except it's even stronger) is good enough for most cars.  Most thieves see it, and they pass on to the next car.  I have seen it for sale for about $35, but if your car is really new or valuable then you should spend the extra $20 and get the solid-steel AutoLock, because it locks onto the steel brake, making it almost impossible to cut.  The Barricade is also made of steel, but an expert thief only needs to take 5 seconds to cut through the steering wheel and slip off the Barricade, and your car is gone.  Most thieves won't go to all that trouble to steal an ordinary car, but they might do it if they can steal a Jaguar or a Lexus.  I don't recommend car alarms because they all have bypass codes that allow the more sophisticated thieves to breeze right past them.  Car alarms are useful mainly for people who take valuable items along with them in their car.

Having one of these security devices will almost certainly get you a discount on your auto theft insurance, so they really pay for themselves.  After you buy the anti-theft device, be sure to call you insurance company to ask for the discount.

	How To Avoid Auto Theft   Time to complete:   A few minutes to read these tips Money you'll spend:   $0 What you'll get:   Avoid car theft, it's all too common. How to prevent car theft:  Install some sort of anti-theft device in your car and always use it. Always park in a lighted, high-traffic area. Keep your car locked and its windows closed. Don't stop for strangers when you're in or near your car (if you think someone needs help, call the police and let them do it.) Keep anything that's valuable hidden from view. Further Reading: Read this tip list about theft prevention. Car Magazines, 90-day risk-free trials available. Car Smarts : An Easy-To-Use Guide to Understanding Your Car and Communicating With Your Mechanic, a highly-rated book at Amazon.com

More pages in this section:
	1. Picking a car
	2. Financing a car
	3. Buy or lease
	4. Haggling skills
	5. Maintain your car
	6. Find good mechanics
	7. Better gas mileage
	8. Car safety
You are here...	9. Avoid car theft
(...	10. Automotive Links
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