California Tops List of Most Stolen Car Thefts

California holds the top spots for the most stolen cars in the United States, according to a recent survey.

TheNational Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has released their list of the top locations within the U.S. where car theft is an issue. California is not only at the top of the list, but out of the top 10 places with the most car thefts, cities within California hold 9 out of the 10 spots. Cities range from Southern California locations, like San Jose and Bakersfield to Northern California cities, like San Francisco.

The 2013 vehicle theft survey isn’t the first time California has taken over the list. In 2011, California had 7 of the 10 spots, and in 2012, the state had 8 of the 10 spots. It is an ongoing trend and unfortunately the number keeps going up.

For the survey, the NICB looks at how many vehicles were stolen in different metropolitan areas of the U.S. The following list shows them in order of most vehicle thefts:

1. Bakersfield, California
2. Fresno, California
3. Modesto, California
4. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California
5. Stockton-Lodi, California
6. Redding, California
7. Spokane-Spokane Valley, Washington
8. Vallejo-Fairfield, California
9. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California
10. Yuba City, California

The only area in the U.S. on the top 10 list that wasn’t in California was Spokane and Spokane Valley in Washington, also on the west coast. While most of the top vehicle thefts are on the west coast, that doesn’t mean everyone shouldn’t be helping to prevent vehicle theft. It can happen just about anywhere at any time, which is why the NICB has proposed a four-step protection plan.

They recommend starting with common sense, which includes being sure keys are not left in the ignition and car doors are always locked. Next, they recommend getting an alarm system or brake locks that help deter vehicle thieves. Part three is a more advanced immobilizing device that kills the ignition, followed by getting a tracking device installed in the vehicle that helps track it down should it get stolen.

GPS tracking devices, like those available from LiveView GPS, are a great way to keep track of a vehicle at all times, and recover it if it gets stolen. It is possible to track down a vehicle before it gets sold to parts or gets too far. While police also recover vehicles not being tracked, it is often not in a good driving condition once it is found. With a tracking device, the vehicle owner is able to track down the location and movement, getting help from local law enforcement to follow the vehicle to where it is parked and recovery it within a matter of hours in most cases.

Protect yourself from vehicle theft by getting a GPS tracking device in your personal car or business vehicle

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