Over the past few years, statistics have shown that car theft is becoming more and more of a problem in the United States. Whether your car is parked in your driveway, on the street, or in a parking lot, it could be at risk. Each year, nearly a million cars, trucks, and other vehicles are stolen. What makes your car easy to steal, and what can you do about it?

Car theft statistics may surprise you. Statistically speaking, most car thefts do not involve expensive or exotic cars taken for joyrides. More thieves target vehicles that they can steal quickly, with an intent to resell or strip down the vehicle. In addition to joyriders and resellers, your car may be stolen by those looking for transportation, perhaps in order to commit other crimes. This is one of the major reasons why it is so important to report a car theft to the police as soon as it happens.

The most commonly stolen vehicles are not sport and luxury cars, although they are certainly popular targets. Perhaps surprisingly, all of the top five most frequently stolen vehicles are older than 2000. They include nearly every major make, including Honda, Toyota, Ford, Chevrolet, and Acura. Only two cars on the top ten list were made since 2000 the 2004 Dodge Ram, coming in at number 7, and number 10, the 2007 Toyota Corolla. What can these statistics teach you? For one, if you think you re safe from car thieves because you drive an older import car, you re not.

The top spot is taken by the 1995 Honda Civic, followed by the 1991 Honda Accord. Both cars were top sellers for many years, and there are many of them out there. In addition, many of the parts are interchangeable across several years, making them popular targets for dismantlers. In general, imports fare much better than domestics.

With such a wide range of stolen cars, how can you prevent it? By far the number one car theft prevention tactic is to never leave your car unlocked, and never leave your key in the car. Nearly a quarter of all stolen cars are stolen with the owner s keys. Even if you re just running inside for a second, that is all a thief needs. This is especially true if your car is on the Top 10 list these are known by car thieves as being particularly easy to steal because of their design. Thieves are always looking for the easiest target, so avoid giving them an easy way to gain access into your car.

With the current economic climate, as many people find themselves in a worse financial situation, the number of people who are tempted to steal a car will likely increase. You should be aware of this increased threat, and take steps to prevent it.

If you re worried about your car getting stolen, you may want to invest in OnStar, Lojack, or other systems for tracking stolen cars. However, there are certainly other options that can effectively safeguard your vehicle. Some thieves will break into your car with an aim not to steal it, but to steal the possessions you ve left inside. Instead of leaving objects in plain sight, store them in the trunk, or in a diversion safe. Always park in well lit, secure areas. This can reduce the likelihood not only of car thefts, but also mugging, carjacking, and other dangerous situations.