Car thefts are down, but don't cancel the Comprehensive coverage from your auto insurance policy just yet. The average comprehensive insurance premium in the U.S. fell 3.3% from 2005 to 2006. (The most recent data available).

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NCIB) reports that 2008 marked the nation's fifth consecutive year of declining vehicle thefts in the United States. To put it into perspective, in 2006 every 26 seconds a car was stolen in the US. That number is now down to one car every 28.8 seconds. The more likely a car is to be stolen, the more likely it will cost more to insure it. In 2006 the HOT CAR was the 1995 Honda Civic. 1,095,769 motor vehicles were reported stolen in 2007, with Western states representing 35.7% of the total.

The top 10 States ranked by number of auto thefts in 2006 placed Arizona in the number 4 position. California, Texas and Florida were in the top 3 positions.

City-by-city differences in auto buying habits are reflected in the preferences of auto thieves. For example, American vehicles tend to be the auto thief's choice in Detroit and Chicago; pickups are popular in Phoenix and Houston; and Japanese models lead the most commonly stolen list in Los Angeles.

Carjacking account for only 3% of all motor vehicle thefts nationwide, and occurs most frequently in urban areas, but what may be more surprising, in a survey of American drivers conducted in April of 2007 by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the nations' leading not-for-profit organization dedicated exclusively to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft through information analysis, investigations, training and public awareness, and Lojack, a manufacturer of an electronic vehicle tracking and recovery system, found that 40% of drivers don't hide their valuables, in fact, nearly half leave mail in their vehicle, a quarter have left a purse or wallet, and almost one third have left bank statements, all of which can put them at risk for identity theft.

Besides the cost associated with vehicle theft that are covered by the insurance companies, many people forget the cost in time and inconvenience that are not covered and can mount to many hours and lost income not to mention frustration.

Insurance criminals are ripping off the insurance industry and the American public daily. This results in higher insurance premiums for all of us. Keeping money in our pockets starts by educating ourselves about what fraud and theft is, who commits these types of crimes and how we can protect ourselves from becoming victims. Consumers are a vital part of the solution.