From our friends at AAA Northeast
Imagine heading out the door to start your morning commute only to find an empty driveway and your car nowhere to be seen.
Every year, more than 1 million Americans experience a scenario like this one. Since 2019, motor vehicle theft has been up more than 25%, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Every 31 seconds in the United States, a car or truck is stolen thanks to increasingly sophisticated methods used by criminals to drive off with someone else’s vehicle.
In Connecticut, there were 7,273 incidents of motor vehicle theft in 2022, according to the latest FBI data. The most common location for vehicle theft was outside a residence (2,466 thefts).
A recent report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) shows vehicle thefts reached new heights in 2023, jumping by about 1% over 2022. And, for the first time in years, passenger cars supplanted full-size pickup trucks at the top of the list, led by cars manufactured by Hyundai and Kia. Popular Honda vehicles, along with the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and 1500 pickups, rounded out the top 10 most stolen vehicles in 2023.
Social media trends showcasing how to steal specific models of Hyundai and Kia vehicles could be fueling the rise in passenger car thefts, particularly because many models were not equipped with immobilizing equipment at the factory. But the NICB report also highlights the use of newer technology to hack into vehicle security systems.
“Motor vehicle theft costs owners more than $8 billion each year, with more thefts happening in the summer than any other time of year,” said Lauren Fabrizi, spokesperson for AAA Northeast. “But by being vigilant and taking preventive measures, you can significantly reduce the chance of your car being stolen.”
AAA offers the following tips to prevent your car from being stolen:
- Park with your windows up and doors locked. When not at home, be sure your key fob is with you at all times.
- Park in well-lit areas and ideally in an area protected by security cameras.
- Remove all valuables from your car and keep anything that must be in the car out of view. Theft of items left in vehicles is a widespread problem – not just theft of cars themselves.
- Consider a tracking device to locate your car if it does get stolen. According to the NICB, one-third of stolen vehicles that were ultimately recovered were found on the same day as the theft, so it’s important to immediately report the incident to police and then to your insurance company.
- Store key fobs as far away from the vehicle as possible when parked. To prevent a signal boosting attack, consider putting them in a metal container or bag to interrupt the fob signal and prevent tech-savvy thieves from intercepting and boosting it remotely to unlock the nearby parked vehicle.
- Keep your vehicle up to date with software updates and check with your dealer to ensure all eligible safety and security recalls and technical service bulletins have been performed.
- Don’t leave your vehicle running and unattended, even if the vehicle is locked.
AAA Northeast is a not-for-profit auto club with offices in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York, providing more than 6.5 million local AAA members with travel, insurance, finance and auto-related services.