Several cars will be stolen in the time it takes you to read this article

In the Time It Takes to Read This, Your Car Could be Gone

(ARA) - Several cars will be stolen in the time it takes you to read this article. Maybe even yours.

Despite the prevalence of increasingly sophisticated factory-installed and aftermarket auto security systems, motor vehicle theft is once again on the rise. The Insurance Information Institute reports that a car is stolen every 27 seconds in the United States.

Brett Ploumen learned about car theft first hand last year. His 1992 Chevrolet Astrovan was stolen from a strip mall in Santa Ana, Calif., while he was dining with friends. Police found the butchered hulk three days later -- minus the entire front end of the car.

"These guys cut the vehicle up -- the only thing they left was the VIN number on the dashboard so they could trace it back to me." The insurance settlement was satisfactory, but Ploumen says he never wants to go through that experience again. He purchased a Power Lock aftermarket security system for his replacement vehicle -- another Astrovan -- and he advises others to add a security system to their vehicle as well.

"There's a lot of money to be made in vehicle theft," says Ed Sparkman, spokesman for the National Insurance Crime Bureau in Chicago. According to the FBI, the estimated value of motor vehicles stolen in the United States in 2001 was $8.2 billion, up from $7.8 billion in 2000. Add that a car can be worth several times its value in the underground market for replacement parts, and it's easy to see why auto theft is the No. 1 property crime.

So, what can you do to protect your automobile?

First of all, don't assume your vehicle is secure because it's not a new car or a high-end model. According to NICB's Sparkman, more than 90 percent of stolen cars are from the model years 1985-96. Older cars are in high demand for their parts. "The bad guys might have an order for a fender off a 1999 Honda Civic. So they'll go out and steal one and take the portion they need," says Skip Davidson a former police officer.

And if you do have an auto-security system, be aware of its limitations, suggests James Cooper, CEO of Ultimate Security System Corporation of Irvine, Calif. Despite manufacturers' claims to the contrary, thieves can override, bypass or disable most security systems. The vast majority hardly even slow down a professional thief, said Cooper, whose firm created and markets the Power Lock (www.powerlock.com) anti-theft system. Power Lock is designed to prevent thieves from hot-wiring a vehicle, the most common method of auto theft.

"A factory-installed auto alarm isn't enough; no one pays any attention to those any more," says Davidson, a Power Lock customer. "You need a device that actually cuts off the ignition if a thief tries to force it."

Experts agree that if a thief really wants your car, he'll get it, even if he has to cart it away by a tow truck. "These thieves aren't dumb," says Davidson. "They spend a lot of time figuring out how to get around security systems." Nevertheless, experts say it's a good idea to install deterrents to make your vehicle less desirable. "The bad guy only has so many minutes to get in and get the car. If he has to fight your security system, he'll look for an easier target," Davidson says.

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Solomon Daniels, editor of Mobile Electronics magazine, offers consumers some tricks of the trade when shopping for security devices. For example, basic alarms generally include a starter or ignition kill switch. But if you disconnect the alarm, the car will start. Consumers should opt for more sophisticated open starter kill switches, which won't let the car start even if the alarm is disabled.

One thing most people don't think about is content theft, Daniels says. Alarms that come with the car are designed to protect the vehicle, he warns. They lock and unlock the doors and pop the trunk. They sense whether you put the key in the ignition or if you try to start the car without disarming. But they don't necessarily protect the contents of your car. A thief could break a window, reach inside, and steal the items you left on the seat. "He knows that as long as he doesn't open the door, the alarm will not go off," Daniels says.

If you're shopping for a new car, find out whether the alarm system includes a shock sensor, Daniels advised. "Ask the salesman, 'if someone breaks the window, will the alarm go off'? Then test it. Arm the alarm, let it sit, then slap your hand against a window and see if the alarm goes off. If not, you're not fully protected."

How much should you pay? And what level of protection should you choose for your car? Daniels suggests that consumers choose the level of protection that fits the car. "You can get a basic alarm system for $49 and install it yourself," he says. "But if you've spent $50,000 on a new Navigator, you might want a more involved system," he says.