If you take a few simple steps to keep your car safe you could qualify for a discount on your car insurance.
There are steps you can take to better protect your car from getting stolen. National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) recommends what they call the "layered approach" to car theft prevention: that is, use more than one anti-theft method to defeat the thieves.
You'll pay lower premiums if your vehicle is equipped with a tracking system, a car alarm or other anti-theft devices for one big reason: Insurers say they work.
Here's a bit of good news for frustrated drivers: For the first time since 1999, auto insurance premiums are dropping this year, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Granted, it's not by much -- a mere $4, or 0.5%, bringing the average annual cost to $847. Not exactly enough to fund a road trip.
Not surprisingly, insurance companies are big fans of drivers who take extra steps to protect their cars, and they're willing to reward them with generous discounts.
Has this happened to you? You go to drive your trusty automobile, only to discover it missing. Car theft is more common than you might think: 1.2 million cars were snatched in 2006, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
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Gone in 60 seconds - Manufacturer-equipped anti-theft systems should not be used alone.
Tracking devices also exist, such as the LoJack, which emits a radio signal that police can use to zero in on a car's location after it has been stolen.
Another tracking device is the OnStar program which often comes with high-end cars. They are still not foolproof because the OnStar system can be jammed and the LoJack's signal is only good for police picking up the signal in a limited area of about 40 miles.
*Painter and other experts like adding after-market systems to cars because they are often better hidden and the diversity of the products makes it difficult for the car thief to know them all.
The person who installs an after-market anti-theft system is as important as the system itself, warns Matt Swanston, staff director of communications for the Consumer Electronics Association. "Be certain that the installer is certified by Mobile Electronics Certified Professionals," Swanston says. "You don't want to have Uncle Henry install a system you bought at some auto parts store.
There are a number of benefits that arise from fitting anti-theft devices to your car.
*Rob Painter, an independent auto theft investigator and author of the book, "Auto Theft: Let the Truth Be Known."