Auto Theft Rate Highest in California

In its annual Hot Spots Report, the National Insurance Crime Bureau lists the metropolitan areas with the highest auto theft rates – and seven of the top-ten are in California.

Fresno, Modesto, Bakersfield-Delano, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Stockton, Vallejo-Fairfield and Visalia-Porterville along with Spokane and Yakima, Wash., and Anderson, S.C., constitute the top-ten with a combined 51,890 vehicles stolen in 2011.

There were more than 700,000 auto thefts nationwide in 2011, with 156,796 occurring in California, the most for any state.

Regardless of where you live, it's important to know what to do if your vehicle is stolen. Here are a few suggestions:

The best offense is a good defense. Consider purchasing comprehensive car insurance, which covers your vehicle if it is damaged in anything other than a collision. This includes auto theft, vandalism, floods, hailstorms and fire damage.
Contact police immediately if your vehicle is stolen and file a report. The chances of recovering a stolen vehicle decreases as time passes.
Be sure to have the following information when filing a claim with your insurance carrier:
- Policy number
- When and where you last saw your car (date, time and location)
- Year, make and model
- Vehicle identification number
- License plate number
- Police report number
Be sure to list any additional valuables that were in your car at the time it was stolen.
Offer photos of your car, if possible, to the police and your claims adjuster.

For tips on how you can mitigate the risk of auto theft, click here.

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Make sure you're protected. Call De Caro Insurance Agency at (626) 331-0914 for more information on La Puente auto insurance.

(Article courtesy: Mercury Insurance)

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