Lock your car and keep valuables out of sight: It’s good advice for owners of all vehicles, but it’s particularly pertinent advice for California owners of 1994 Honda Accords.
The 1994 Honda Accord is the most stolen vehicle in the Golden State and across the country, according to “Hot Wheels,” an annual crime data report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
The 10 most-stolen vehicles in California are:
- 1994 Honda Accord
- 1998 Honda Civic
- 1991 Toyota Camry
- 1994 Acura Intregra
- 2004 Chevrolet Pickup (full size)
- 2006 Ford Pickup (full size)
- 1994 Nissan Sentra
- 2010 Toyota Corolla
- 1997 Nissan Altima
- 1988 Toyota Pickup (4x2)
The Honda Accord from various years also is the most-stolen car in 16 other states: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Virigina and Washington. It appears somewhere on the top 10 list for almost all states.
Nationwide, vehicle thefts appear to be on the decline. Early data from 2011 FBI crime statistics show a 3.3 percent decline from 2010, with about 712,800 vehicles stolen.
“Today’s vehicle thieves are typically professional criminals who have figured out how to get the key code for a specific vehicle, have a replacement key made, and steal the vehicle within a matter of days,” according to an NICB release.
The NICB has released a video (see the video above) that explains key code thefts.
The NICB recommends four steps to ensuring your vehicle is not stolen:
- Lock your car and take your keys with you—most vehicle thefts are crimes of opportunity.
- Having an alarm system or a similar warning device can help.
- Installing or buying a car with a fuel cut-off or a smart key may also help.
- Installing a tracking device on your car so police can monitor its location when the car is reported stolen may aid in recovering the vehicle before too much damage is done.
Do you own one of the most frequently stolen cars in California? Have you ever had it stolen? How do you protect against theft? Share your experience in the comments.
