NICB Recommends “Layers of Protection” to Prevent Stolen Car Thefts

On November 19, 2019, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) released a yearly report (Hot Wheels) that identified the United State’s 10 most stolen vehicles. This report showed data about vehicle theft that police sent to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) which outlined the vehicle model, make and model year reported stolen the most in 2018.

The top three vehicles of this list reported stolen were the:

• Honda Civic — 5,290 stolen
• Honda Accord — 5,029 stolen
• Full-Size Ford Pickup — 3,173 stolen

Along with this report, the NICB released data showing on 11 holidays in particular in 2018, 22,879 stolen vehicles were reported.

Of these 11 holidays, the most holiday thefts fell on:

• New Year’s Day with 2,571 stolen vehicles
• Presidents’ Day with 2,380 stolen vehicles
• Halloween with 2,275 stolen vehicles
• Labor Day with 2,235 stolen vehicles
• Memorial Day with 2,167 stolen vehicles

The FBI stated in 2018, 748,841 vehicles in the U.S. were stolen which was a 3% decline.

NICB’s Four Layers of Protection

Expert thieves can steal any vehicle, but you can make them work harder to steal yours. To prevent thefts, the NICB suggests “Layered Protection.” And, the more protection layers you have on your vehicle, the harder you’ll make it for thieves to snatch your vehicle.

The number of protection layers you’ll require for your vehicle will vary depending on the type of vehicle you own and its geographic location. Your personal preferences and budget should determine the best anti-theft device for you.

Here are the “Four Layers of Protection”:

1. Common Sense

With this layer you’ll be sure to:

• Close and lock your vehicle’s doors and windows
• Park in well-lit areas only
• Remove the keys from the vehicle’s ignition

2. Warning Device

For this layer, you’ll secure your vehicle with an audible or visible device such as:

• Wheel locks
• Brake locks
• Brake pedal and steering wheel lock
• Tire deflators and tire locks
• Audible alarms
• Identification markers on or in your vehicle
• Steering column collars
• Micro Dot Marking
• Theft-deterrent decals
• Window etching

3. Immobilizing Device

For the third layer you’ll keep thieves from bypassing the ignition and hot-wiring your vehicle by activating immobilizing devices like:

• Smart keys
• Ignition, fuel and starter disablers
• Fuse cut-offs
• Wireless ignition authentication
• Kill switches

4. Tracking Device

And, for the final protection layer, you’ll equip your vehicle with a GPS tracking device that will help law enforcement track and retrieve your vehicle if it’s stolen. The device sends a signal to law enforcement or to a monitoring station if your vehicle is stolen.

Protect your vehicle with the “Four Layers of Protection”, so it doesn’t become another statistic on the NICB most stolen vehicle list.  Here at LiveViewGPS, we have an array of GPS tracking devices. Take a look at our product inventory, and if you have any questions feel free to give us a call at 1-888-544-0494.

You Are Here: LiveViewGPS Blog » NICB Recommends “Layers of Protection” to Prevent Stolen Car Thefts