Connie

I know I dont post alot but I thought of you all when I saw this on the news

Connie

Silently Stealing Away

When it comes to stealing your car, thieves are fond of Hondas.

No less than five of the auto giant’s Si models make the list of the vehicles that were the most stolen in the country this year.

The dubious honour role, put together annually by the Insurance Bureau of Canada, tracks the cars that are boosted most often from parking lots, garages and off driveways.

The top two spots both go to Honda’s Civic SiR 2-door, with the 2000 model in first place and its direct predecessor right behind.

The 1993-1995 model years also made the steal wheels list.

The Bureau complains auto theft costs Canadians over $580 million every year, and some of that translates into higher premiums for you – regardless of what you drive.

So what is it about these specific cars that seems to attract the burglary minded boosters?

Much like the old cliché about climbing a mountain because it’s there, they’re simply easy to take.

The I.B.C. claims none of the cars on its new list contain immobilizers, built-in devices that make it impossible for a thief to start a car without a specific code embedded in a chip in the key.

Most newer models include the deterrent as a standard feature.

So crooks looking for a quick score turn to those without them.

"Immobilizers are highly effective at deterring car thieves,” confirms the Bureau’s Rick Dubin in a statement. “In terms of this year's stats, you have to go down the list to the 81st most-frequently stolen spot to find a vehicle, the 2001 Audi Quattro 4-door, that registered thefts despite the fact that it is protected by an immobilizer.

"It just underlines the reality that theft is much more likely when a vehicle is not equipped with an immobilizer.”

Insurance companies generally give a price break to those drivers whose cars have the devices.

Here’s this year’s list of Canada’s most stolen cars:

1. 2000 Honda Civic SiR 2-door

2. 1999 Honda Civic SiR 2-door

3. 1996 4 wheel drive Chevrolet/GMC Blazer/Jimmy S Series 2-door

4. 1994 Honda Civic Si Hatchback 2-door

5. 1993 Volkswagen Corrado 2-door

6. 1995 Honda Civic Si Hatchback 2-door

7. 1992 Chrysler/Dodge Caravan and Voyager

8. 2002 all wheel drive Subaru Impreza WRX, 4-door

9. 1999 Volkswagen Golf GTI Hatchback 2-door

10. 1993 Honda Civic Si hatchback 2-door


Least Theft Risks

1998 Lincoln Continental 4-door

2001 Pontiac Bonneville 4-door

2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette

Source: Insurance Bureau of Canada


Insurance experts in the U.S. released their own Top 10 of the most pilfered autos earlier this month.

And while their list isn’t quite as specific as ours, there’s one similarity – the 1995 Honda Civic shows up on that one, too - this time, in top spot.

Here’s what you might not find in your driveway down south.

U.S. National Insurance Crime Bureau Most Stolen Cars 2004

1. 1995 Honda Civic

2. 1989 Toyota Camry

3. 1991 Honda Accord

4. 1994 Dodge Caravan

5. 1994 Chevrolet Full Size C/K 1500 pick-up

6. 1997 Ford F150 pickup

7. 2003 Dodge Ram pick-up

8. 1990 Acura Integra

9. 1988 Toyota pick-up

10. 1991 Nissan Sentra

Source: U.S. National Insurance Crime Bureau





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Anti-theft advice

So what’s the best way to keep your car where it’s supposed to be and not in the possession of some unscrupulous thief?

Most of the advice is common sense – like always locking your doors and keeping the windows and sunroof closed when you’re not in it.

But there are few other things you can do to ensure it’s still where you parked it when you come back. Among them:



Beware the old spare key trick.
You may be tempted to leave an extra key hidden somewhere on the vehicle’s exterior. Don’t. Veteran thieves know all your hiding places and you’re as much as giving them a free entrance to your vehicle.

Beware of the driveway warm-up.
Every year, Toronto Police issue warnings about car owners who start their vehicles on frigid winter days to get them warm, only to return to their driveway to find their automobile is gone. And it often only takes seconds. Better to have a cold interior than be searching for a ‘hot’ car.

Always park in a well lighted and preferably well travelled area at night.
Leaving your car in a dark or remote spot invites thieves to take their time and get inside, since almost no one can see them.

Put your car in the garage and lock the door.
Yes, it’s filled with tons of junk you don’t have room for in your house. But your garage is really made to store your vehicle overnight.

Not only does it protect it from the elements, but it adds another layer of security. It’s easier to steal a car from a driveway than one secreted away in a locked garage.

Make it look like there’s nothing inside.
It’s especially common this time of year when many of us are out Christmas shopping. We tend to leave our packages inside the car and go back into the mall.

Thieves not only look to steal your vehicle, but whatever’s inside it. Don’t leave the things you bought in plain view. Lock them in the trunk for safekeeping. Crooks can’t take what they don’t know is there.

Sound advice.
On a similar note, if you have a removable car stereo, take it out when leaving your vehicle. It’s a temptation some thieves can’t resist.

Come and see my etchings.
Many new cars have the last several digits of the V.I.N. etched onto the windows to make it easier for police to identify it if its stolen and recovered. If your vehicle didn’t come with this feature, consider having it done.

You can have similar markings put on your stereo or other special equipment.

Avoid wheels of misfortune.
Locking nuts, which make it impossible for crooks to take your expensive tires, are cheap, easy to put on and are almost impossible to defeat.

Consider a decent burglar alarm.
These aren’t always effective, of course. How many times have you simply walked by a car with its lights flashing and a siren howling after its alarm went off and done nothing?

But the advantage is it attracts attention – the one thing a thief doesn’t want.

If your car doesn’t come with a built-in immobilizer, try a device like “The Club”, which locks the steering wheel in place and makes the car undriveable. It’s big, it’s obvious – and it’s a deterrent.

Check your license plates frequently.
Yes, thieves will take anything – even your plates. They can be placed on other stolen vehicles, making it harder to track them. And you’ll have to go through the added hassle and expense of getting new ones.

Personal I.D.
Don’t leave your important papers, like your vehicle registration, your insurance, etc. inside your car. Keep duplicates in a safe place at home and if you really need to carry a copy in your wallet, make sure it’s not the original.

And never leave any personal information about yourself in your car. If it does get stolen, the thief not only knows where you live, but because you were parked somewhere else, you’re not at home, offering them yet another opportunity to steal from you.


http://www.pulse24.com/Business/Top_...0-001/page.asp

November 30, 2005

imported_Mischev

wicked..thanks for the heads up!

Double_B

This has been posted already