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Do you live in Modesto, Calif.? Well if you do, you’d better lock you car doors, and get a car alarm, and maybe get a kill switch. For the second year in a row, the Modesto area has the highest car theft rates in the country, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).

Here are the Top 10 worst cities for car theft in 2008:

1. Modesto, CA

2. Laredo, TX

3. Yakima, WA

4. San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, CA

5. Bakersfield, CA

6. Stockton, CA

7. Las Vegas/Paradise, NV

8. Albuquerque, NM

9. San Francisco/Oakland/Fremont, CA

10. Fresno, CA

Even though car thefts are high in these cities, the good news is that the total number of car thefts in the U.S. declined in 2008, for the 5th year in a row. Joe Wehrle, NICB president and CEO, called 2008’s results a “mixed bag of good and bad news.”

“The good news is, we’re seeing steady progress in reducing the overall theft rate and that means Americans aren’t shelling out as much to cover the cost of stolen vehicles in their insurance premiums,” said Wehrle. “The bad news is that the theft rate continues to increase in areas like El Paso and Laredo where many of the cars, trucks and SUVs being stolen are being used to carry drugs, money and weapons into and out of Mexico. These vehicle thefts are helping finance the drug cartels that are waging war on the Mexican government.”

There are steps you can take to better protect your car from getting stolen. NICB recommends what they call the “layered approach” to car theft prevention:

Common Sense–the simplest and most cost-effective ways to stop car thieves

• Remove keys from ignition

• Lock car doors and close windows

• Park car in a well-lit area

Warning Device–visible or audible device that shows thieves your car is protected

• Audible alarms

• Steering column collars

• Steering wheel/brake pedal lock

• Brake or wheel locks

• Tire locks/tire deflators

• Theft deterrent decals

Immobilizing Device–device that stops car thieves from hot-wiring the car

• Smart keys

• Fuse cut-offs

• Kill switches

• Starter, ignition, and fuel pump disablers

• Wireless ignition authentication

Tracking Device–device that emits a signal to police or a monitoring station when the car is stolen

• Lo-Jack

• GPS

• Telematics (combination GPS and wireless)

If you take these simple steps to keep you car safe you could qualify for a discount on your car insurance. Get a good car insurance rate by shopping for multiple insurance quotes at InsWeb.com.

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