From Reader's Digest-April 6, 2000 (www.readersdigest.com)

Find out which vehicles are most vulnerable, which cities have the highest rate of car theft, and what you can do to safeguard your wheels.

• Is Your Car A Target For Thieves?
  
  Japanese cars are the most likely to be stolen, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), although American-built pickups and sport-utility vehicles are increasingly targeted. Here are the top ten vehicles stolen in 1998:
  
  1. Honda Accord
  2. Toyota Camry
  3. Chevrolet full-size pickup
  4. Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
  5. Honda Civic
  6. Oldsmobile Cutlass
  7. Ford full-size pickup
  8. Ford Mustang
  9. Dodge Caravan
  10. Toyota Corolla
  
  According to CCC Information Services, the cars most commonly lost, either to theft or collision, in 1999 were the 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1988 Toyota Camry, followed by the 1997 Ford F-150 pickup. Thefts vary by region, however: in the Midwest, the most commonly lost car was the 1995 Plymouth Neon. Figures do not include stolen cars that were recovered, such as those taken for a joyride, or burglarized for radios. Older cars are stolen primarily for "chop shops" and cannibalized for parts.
  
  Hotbeds of Car Theft
  
  Your car is far more likely to be stolen in Miami than in Omaha, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). One in 38 of the Miami metropolitan area's 1.3 million cars was stolen in 1997. Here are the top ten "hotbeds" of car theft in the U.S., along with theft rates. A rate of 50 means that one in 50 registered vehicles was stolen.
  
  

  1) Miami, FL	37.92
  2) Jersey City, NJ	40.97
  3) Fresno, CA	49.67
  4) Memphis, TN-AR-MS	50.36
  5) New York, NY	52.3
  6) Tucson, AZ	52.63
  7) Phoenix-Mesa, AZ	53.13
  8) Albuquerque, NM	55.58
  9) Sacramento, CA	57.9
  10) New Orleans, LA	58.67

  
  
  Of the top 50 cities listed by NICB, your car is safest in No. 48 Merced, CA (111.19); No. 49 Bakersfield, CA (111.78); and No. 50 Omaha (113.04.)
  
  Protect Your Car and Save
  
  Eleven states currently require insurers to give you a discount on your comprehensive insurance if your car is equipped with certain antitheft devices. These states are Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas. Many insurers in other states also provide discounts for protected cars.
  
  You may qualify for up to a 30 percent reduction in your comprehensive premiums if your car is protected by a built-in ignition cutoff, alarm system, or electronic auto recovery system, a hidden transmitter that sends a signal allowing police to track the stolen car's whereabouts with a special computer. Massachusetts residents can get at least a 25 percent discount if they have both an antitheft device and an auto recovery system.
  
  Theft-proof your vehicle
  
  There are many ways to keep your car from being stolen. Some cost nothing and are simple common sense: even if parking for only a brief period, always park in a well-lit area, remove your keys from the ignition, lock all doors and close all windows.
  
  "Second-layer" protection devices range in price from free to more than $1000. These include motion or impact sensors that set off a siren, steering column collars that prevent thieves from hot-wiring the vehicle, steering wheel locks, decals that warn the thief that the vehicle is alarm-protected, and etching the vehicle's ID number onto a window, which makes the vehicle difficult to sell.
  
  "Third-layer" protective devices are standard on some models. They include "smart keys" with specially coded computer chips. Only the exact key can open doors or start the engine. A "kill switch" inhibits the flow of electricity or fuel to the engine until a hidden switch is activated.
  
  Tracking devices are considered the "fourth layer" of protection. They transmit an electronic signal which police can use to locate the stolen vehicle.
  
  Many insurance carriers offer discounts when a vehicle is equipped with security devices; some states make the discounts mandatory. Check with your insurance company about possible discounts.
  
  Watch That Airbag
  
  Car radios/stereos remain the most frequently stolen auto component. But new targets for thieves are airbags and electronic control modules, built-in computers that control many of the car's functions.
  
  Stolen airbags are sold to auto repair shops, which use them to replace bags that have been deployed or stolen. A steering wheel cover used with a steel bar lock will deter thieves.