| Car thefts have always been around ever since cars | | | | children inadvertently kidnapped by carjackers. |
| first started being produced. You don't even have to | | | | A much less violent form of car theft is buying a |
| actually steal the car to get charged with grand theft | | | | vehicle from a seller through fraud. In other words |
| auto, you need to attempt to steal one. Grand theft | | | | paying for the car with a counterfeit check, or |
| auto covers any motor vehicle such as automobile, | | | | through identity theft. This type of crime has been |
| truck, bus, coach bus, motorcycle, snowmobile or | | | | growing in recent years. |
| trailer. In 2005 there were 416 motor vehicles stolen | | | | Even with a keyless lock your car can still be stolen. |
| for every 100,000 people. | | | | It's been proven that keyless locks have weak or no |
| One of the most common methods for stealing a car | | | | protection of the unlock signal. Commercially available |
| is to break into a parked vehicle and hotwire it or | | | | tools such as RFID microreaders have been used to |
| tow it away. A very common cause of car theft is | | | | unlock the signal and steal cars. |
| when people leave the keys in their cars. This | | | | The most commonly stolen cars in the United States |
| happens frequently in the winter months when | | | | recently have been Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, |
| people leave their cars running to warm them up | | | | Jeep Cherokee and Cadillac Escalade. |
| before getting in them to drive. If you're going to | | | | There are different ways to try to keep your car |
| warm up the car, lock the door with another set of | | | | from getting stolen. There are devices that lock the |
| keys. | | | | steering wheel or brake pedal or immobilizers that will |
| A car theft where the owner may not decide to | | | | start the vehicle only if a key with the chip is in the |
| press charges is "theft with access to keys" or | | | | ignition. Theft deterrent systems are car alarms, VIN |
| "taken without owner's consent". This is where | | | | etching, car alarm signs in windows and killswitches. |
| someone may be allowed access to the car, but was | | | | Killswitches are located between parts of the starting |
| not given permission at that time to take the car. | | | | system and the car cannot be started with flipping |
| This is usually a child, relative or company employee. | | | | these killswitches. These switches are usually hidden |
| Carjacking is the scariest car theft case where the | | | | in the car to slow down or frustrate a car their. |
| car driver is forced out of the car by force or threat | | | | Vehicle tracking systems such as LoJack or OnStar |
| of force. Sometimes the owner and passengers are | | | | can help locate a stolen vehicle and even stop the |
| forced to stay in the car as hostages. These are the | | | | stolen vehicle while it's being driven by the thief. |
| most violent of car thefts and have resulted in | | | | |