MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio — In the US, more than one million vehicles were stolen in 2000; that's 2,740 a day, 114 an hour and more than one vehicle stolen every minute. Yet, when it comes to protecting ourselves from car thieves, Americans appear to be throwing caution out the window, according to a survey released today by progressive.com, the Web site of Progressive Insurance (NYSE: PGR).
In the survey, 55 percent of respondents said they leave their car doors unlocked and 34 percent leave the windows open when leaving their vehicle unattended. Six percent of respondents said they leave the keys in their vehicle when it is unattended. If this behavior seems surprising, then know that 33 percent of respondents said they are not concerned at all about their car being stolen.
For those drivers who are concerned enough to install and activate an alarm system, consider this: The survey found that when a vehicle alarm is activated, 22 percent of respondents said they notice the alarm but do nothing, and fewer than one percent of respondents notice the alarm and alert the police.
The study, conducted by progressive.com, the insurance company Web site that offers consumers in-depth information about auto insurance and related subjects, queried 567 people to find out what precautions Americans take to prevent vehicle theft. The company is using the survey results and materials on its Web site to educate consumers about vehicle theft's effect on auto insurance premium.
The online survey also found that 61 percent of respondents report knowing someone whose car has been stolen — and 11 percent say their own vehicle has been stolen. Respondents said that the top five valuables left visible in an unattended car are CD/cassettes/stereo (tie), coat/jacket, spare change, shopping bags/briefcase/backpack (tie) and cell phone.