Illinois drivers miss signals on auto theft problem

By NICK PANAGAKIS

Illinois ranks fifth in the nation in vehicle theft. A total of 74,473 motor vehicles were stolen in Illinois in 1990 — one vehicle for every 118 registered in the state. One contributing factor appears to be the belief by a majority of Illinois drivers that vehicle theft is not their problem. This is a major finding in a May survey of 600 Illinois motorists conducted for the Illinois Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Council. The council, staffed by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, was formed in 1991 to provide funding for law enforcement and other programs to reduce motor vehicle theft in Illinois.

The survey questioned Illinois drivers about the safeguards they take to secure vehicles from theft, the age and type of vehicles they think are likely to be stolen and situations when they believe precautions against auto theft are necessary or unnecessary.

Figure 1. Steps always taken to secure vehicle

Figure 2. Always lock doors, by vehicle model year

State Police director Terrance W. Gainer, who is chairman of the Theft Prevention Council, says, "This research shows that too many drivers feel their vehicles are safe from theft. Some owners are unlikely to take those basic precautions needed to prevent their cars from being stolen and that means we all pay the price with higher insurance premiums."

The survey found that not all motorists make a habit of removing their ignition keys from their car when leaving it unattended: 98 percent say they always remove their keys, but that leaves one in 50 vehicles that a thief could sometimes find with the keys in the ignition. (See figure 1.) Outside the Chicago area, those odds increase to one in 25.

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More drivers fail to take other simple precautions such as closing windows or locking doors. Only 73 percent of drivers say they always lock their doors when they leave their vehicle unattended, meaning about one in four vehicles are sometimes left exposed to the risk of quick entry by an auto thief. More drivers, 85 percent, always close their vehicle windows than lock thier doors, 73 percent. Apparently some motorists believe the chance of bad weather is greater than the chance of having their vehicle stolen.

Driver negligence is high in all urban areas where the rate of auto theft is greatest. The percentage of drivers who always lock their vehicle doors is 90 percent in the city of Chicago, 77 percent in Chicago suburbs and 72 percent in urban areas such as Joliet, East St. Louis, Rockford and Peoria.

Figure 4. Seriousness of auto theft problem in your community

Just three in five motorists always lock their valuables in their car trunks, leaving two out of five exposed to the risk of burglary. Less than half of Illinois drivers park their vehicles on welllit streets, although it may be impossible or too inconvenient for many motorists to do so. Turning wheels toward the curb when parking is a good means of preventing cars with rear-wheel drive from being towed away by thieves, but only one-third of drivers make a habit of doing this.

Many drivers appear to believe that the chance of a vehicle becoming a victim of theft decreases with its age since locking doors declines to 75 percent and less once the driver's vehicle is two years old. (See figure 2.) But official crime reports show that 70 percent of vehicles stolen in Illinois are more than two years old because many vehicles are stolen for the parts market, a market with a demand for windows and body parts for older vehicles needing repairs. In fact, vehicles are worth several times their market value as parts than as a whole car. In the survey, majorities believed that one- or two-year-old vehicles were likely theft targets and that older vehicles were not. The survey also showed that drivers believe cars likely to be stolen are more expensive than official crime statistics indicate. Motorists believe vehicles newer than those they drive are more likely to be stolen.

Many motorists do not take precautions to guard against theft in certain situations. (See figure 3.) But, not surprisingly, almost all believe precautions are necessary when parking on a street in a large city. Based on actual auto theft statistics, motorists wrongly believe safegaurds are not necessary when leaving their vehicle for a few minutes when shopping, when parked in a driveway night or day or when parked at convenience stores and gas stations.

One-fifth of all Illinois motorists have taken extra precautions by installing anti-theft devices on their vehicles, including 16 percent with anti-theft alarm systems. Two-thirds were aware that certain anti-theft devices qualify for discounts on comprehensive auto insurance. One in five drivers with anti-theft devices were not aware of the discounts. Only half the motorists were aware of the theft prevention measure of etching vehicle identification numbers on vehicle windows and parts to discourage thieves from stealing the vehicle for the replacement parts market.

Is auto theft a problem to the Illinois motorist? In the survey only 11 percent say theft is a very serious problem in their community; 25 percent say it is a fairly serious problem. (See figure 4.) Other findings show that only one in five motorists believe their own vehicle is "very likely" to be stolen. Increasing the public's awareness of the magnitude of the vehicle theft problem should lead to better habits by all drivers to avoid the risks that leave their vehicles easy prey for thieves.

Nick Panagakis is president of Market Shares Corporation, a marketing and public opinion research firm headquartered in Mount Prospect. Panagakis, a member of the National Council on Public Polls, is best known for preelection and exit polls conducted for the news media in Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin.

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