If you're heading to the West Coast, you might want to double-check that your car doors are locked. Why? According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, that's where a large number of auto thefts happen.

According to NICB's data from 2010, California and Washington have the top 10 cities on the list of "Hot Spot" for vehicle thefts. Coming in at number one on the list is Fresno, Cali., which is followed up by Modesto, Cali., Bakersfield-Delano, Cali., Spokane, Wash., and rounding out the fifth highest city for car thefts is Vallejo-Fairfield, Cali.

The NICB website has a feature where you can check out how many vehicle thefts have happened in the state that you live. So, I checked out New York and according to NICB data, the Utica-Rome area has a ranking of 352 (from 2010) with a total of 164 vehicles stolen in the area in 2010. Not bad, considering the number one city on the list, Fresno, had 7,559 thefts in 2010.

NICB says to use "common sense" when it comes to preventing vehicle theft. According to the press release for this story, they say to "remove your keys from the ignition, lock your doors, close your windows and park in a well-lit area."

For more tips on how to prevent your car from being stolen, if you want to research a city for car thefts or check out the full "Hot Spot" list, visit their website or click here for the direct link. Once there, if you're looking for car theft prevention tips, click on where it says "New Release" and that will pop-up another window.

Have you ever had your car stolen?

 

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