What You Should Know About Car Theft

Do you drive one of these cars?

1991 Honda Accord
1995 Honda Civic
1989 Toyota Camry
1994 Dodge Caravan
1994 Nissan Sentra
1997 Ford F150 Series
1990 Acura Integra
1986 Toyota Pickup
1993 Saturn SL
2004 Dodge Ram Pickup
If so, you drive one of the top ten most stolen vehicles in the U.S, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). The NICB estimates that a car is stolen every 25.5 seconds.

People can do more to prevent theft, according to a recent release from the Insurance Information Institute. “All too often, consumer attitudes about preventing vehicle thefts are based on misconceptions, which can lead to expensive consequences for the unprepared victim,” says Institute vice president Carolyn Gorman.

Here are a few of those misconceptions:

Myth: Most Thefts Occur in Unprotected Areas
Myth: Stolen Vehicles Are Usually Found
Myth: Insurance Always Provides a Rental Car
Myth: Thieves Are Not Interested in Older Vehicles
A former neighbor of mine experienced that last one first hand when his beater truck was stolen. He eventually found it parked a few blocks down the street but it was missing the steering column. “Older vehicles are most often taken for their parts which are no longer manufactured and are too difficult or expensive to obtain,” says NICB president Robert M. Bryant.

What’s worse than getting your car stolen? Realizing you’re underinsured after your car has been stolen. Many owners of clunker cars drop their comprehensive coverage because they think it’s not worth the money. Problem is, comprehensive covers for theft and, in many cases, rental car coverage.

But it doesn’t always. The III advises people to check with their insurer about their rental car policy before they need one.