Never leave the area while your vehicle is running.
Every 44 seconds a motor vehicle is stolen in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA data also show that only 52% of auto thefts are recovered.
NHTSA says that July and August are the worst months for thefts, but if you follow a few steps, you can help avoid thefts and increase chances that your car is returned.
First, if you are a victim of the thriving ‘midnight auto supply’ business, contact the police immediately to file a stolen vehicle report. You will be asked to provide the license plate number, make, model and color of car, VIN number and any identifying characteristics. Also, contact your insurance company as soon as possible to file a claim within 24 hours of when you discovered your vehicle was stolen. If you find your vehicle before authorities do, contact the police and your insurance company immediately
NHTSA suggests the following safety tips for auto owners:
- Always take your key, do not leave it in or on your vehicle.
- Always close and lock all windows and doors when you park.
- Park in well-lit areas.
- Always keep your vehicle in your garage, if possible.
- Never, ever leave valuables in your vehicle, especially where they can be seen.
- Never, ever leave the area while your vehicle is running.
- Protect your vehicle with an antitheft/immobilizer device.
For more information, check out NHTSA’s new theft prevention info graphic, brochure and video at Safercar.gov/theft.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
