Get theft coverage before your car is stolen

Avoid buying high theft vehicles like Cadillac Escalades and even older cars such 1990's vintage Honda Accords (which are frequently stolen for parts). They are more expensive to insure.

In the unfortunate event that your car gets stolen, there is sage insurance advice being offered by Carolyn Gorman, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute (III), a nonprofit insurance information organization in New York, and Sam Sorich, president of the Association of California Insurance Companies (ACIC).

Gorman calls on drivers to be prepared in the event their car gets stolen. She suggests that "you'll have already taken proper steps to ensure you have suitable insurance as well as having obtained the information you'll need to contact the police department for filing reports and for notifying your insurance company to begin the claims process."

"Many consumers who shop for the lowest auto insurance rates fail to consider some inexpensive options that can save them a lot of money down the road," reveals Gorman, citing replacement rental car coverage as an example, pointing out that it costs "only a couple dollars a month." Under normal circumstances, renting a car for one day "can cost more than a full-year of auto rental coverage."

She notes that most insurance companies wait an average of two to four weeks if the stolen car is not found before authorizing the purchase of a new car, so the victim could end up paying as much as $1,000 to rent a car during the interim if they don't have rental car replacement coverage.

Gorman urges auto insurance customers "to review their policies once a year to make sure they will cover your needs if your vehicle is stolen or damaged in a crash."

ACIC's Sam Sorich notes that "insurers play a vital role in combating vehicle thefts. Insurance companies have staffs that are dedicated to investigating theft claims." Sorich calls on drivers to support insurance company efforts by taking simple but effective steps, notably securing their vehicles. "Lock your cars, install anti-theft devices, and leave nothing in the car that might attract thieves such as purses or wallets."

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