AAA Offers Tips to Avoid Being a Victim of Auto Theft

Phoenix, Ariz., October 22, 2007. You run into your house or the grocery store for “just a moment,” and when you go back outside, your car is gone.  Unfortunately, that scenario plays out far more often than most people think, especially in the state of Arizona.  Vehicle theft and related criminal activity is an epidemic in Arizona, the nation and throughout the world. 

With Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa being home to the nation's fourth highest auto-theft rate, AAA Arizona offers the following cost-effective ways to minimize the chances of becoming a victim if car theft:

• Lock your car in your own driveway. Roaming thieves count on you not doing it. (Even in your own locked garage a locked car is added security.)

• If you are need to warm your vehicle up on those chilly mornings, let the car run while locked; use a second set of keys to open the door. Make sure to NEVER leave your children in an unattended vehicle!

• Have your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) etched into all of your car windows.  This can deter thieves because they would most likely have to replace all of the windows in the stolen car. Contact your local police department to determine if they offer this service.

• When you leave a rear-wheel-drive car in the driveway, back it in. Head it in with front-wheel-drive cars. This makes it somewhat harder for the thieves who tow.

• Install a motion-activated floodlight that illuminates the place where your car is parked.

• Install a car alarm. The typical car alarm is equipped with motion sensors, impact sensors and a loud siren or series of tones in the 120-decibel range – the cost of a car alarm can range from $150 to $1,000.

• Install a kill switch. This hidden switch needs to be flipped on for the car to start. For their effectiveness as a security device, kill switches are for the most part inexpensive and easy to install.  The cost for a kill switch can range from $10 to $125.

• Invest in theft-deterrent decals.  These decals identify that the vehicle is protected by either an alarm system or national theft prevention company.  Costing between $2 and $5, this is a really inexpensive deterrent.
  

• Install an auto theft deterrent light.  This device can protect your vehicle from potential thieves. The bright flashing LED lights simulate the lights used in expensive car alarm systems.