The Insurance Guy: Top 5 List to Avoid Auto Theft
 And I'm driving a stolen car on a pitch black night and I'm telling myself I'm gonna be alright But I ride by night and I travel in fear that in this darkness I will disappear.  — Bruce Springsteen, "Stolen Car"
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Those are innocent enough lyrics from a great old song by The Boss, assuming that he is not singing about your car that has been stolen. But certainly in real life, having one's car taken without permission is a very troubling occurrence, to say the least. Does your automobile insurance cover a stolen vehicle? It does if you have comprehensive coverage on your policy.
This protects you against theft, vandalism, hail, fires and other non-collision losses. So, it is very important to maintain that coverage on your policy while your vehicle maintains value.
Which cars are being stolen the most these days in Massachusetts? According to the weekly Standard Insurance magazine, these vehicles were the top five stolen in 2011:
1998 Honda Civic
1994 Honda Accord
1999 Toyota Camry
2010 Toyota Corolla
1995 Acura Integra
Older cars are an easier target for thieves because the anti-theft devices are maybe not as sophisticated as they are on newer ones. And, the reality is these days that owners are holding onto cars much longer than they used to, making for a very lucrative secondhand "hot" market.
What should you do to avoid having your car stolen? Common sense is still the first line of defense. Lock your car and take your keys when you are not in the vehicle. No, I did not come up with that one but it still seems to be the best advice that I can give you on this topic.
It is also advisable to park in safe areas when you can and enable car alarms if you have them. Other immobilizing devices such as fuel cut-offs, smart keys, and kill switches will also deter would be thefts from getting very far. Finally, tracking devices may help to monitor the location of stolen vehicles for possible recovery.
The good news, according to the Standard, is that overall national vehicle thefts are down 3.3 percent from 2010 and that current anti-theft technology is better than ever. But individually, everyone can play a role in protecting their own vehicle and keeping it off that not-so-top five list.
Tags: auto insurance, auto theft, automobiles, car insurance, Insurance Guy,
