Liz Allison Teams with AutoVantage: Live in a Car Theft Hotspot? Protect Your Car with Leading Auto Club Tips

NORWALK, Conn., Dec. 21, 2007 -- While driving on the highway may sometimes seem a dangerous task, the least safe place for your car may actually be in a parking lot.

"Car theft can strike any car, any person and any town," said Liz Allison, AutoVantage spokesperson. "Protect your car at all times by having a proactive defense plan."

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau's (www.nicb.org) annual surveys of stolen vehicles, 1,192,809 motor vehicles were reported stolen in 2006 in the U.S. And while this number represents a three percent decrease in stolen vehicles from 2005, the total is still staggering.

"Next to purchasing a home, buying a car, truck or SUV is one of the largest investments most people in the U.S. make each year," said Brad Eggleston, vice president of AutoVantage. "Protecting your investment is not only vital, but easier than you might think."

For 2006, the 10 metropolitan areas with the highest vehicle theft rates were:

  1.  Las Vegas/Paradise, Nev.
  2.  Stockton, Calif.
  3.  Visalia/Porterville, Calif.
  4.  Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Ariz.
  5.  Modesto, Calif.
  6.  Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue, Wash.
  7.  Sacramento/Arden-Arcade/Roseville, Calif.
  8.  Fresno, Calif.
  9.  Yakima, Wash.
  10. Tucson, Ariz.

The NICB also names the "hottest cars" in the U.S. In its most recent study, the most frequently stolen cars were:

  1.  1995 Honda Civic
  2.  1991 Honda Accord
  3.  1989 Toyota Camry
  4.  1997 Ford F-150 Series Pickup
  5.  2005 Dodge Ram Pickup
  6.  1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 Pickup
  7.  1994 Nissan Sentra
  8.  1994 Dodge Caravan
  9.  1994 Saturn SL
  10. 1990 Acura Integra

Regardless of your make and model or where you live, there are some basic tips that can help reduce the chance of your vehicle being the next target for a car thief. Many sources, including NICB and several major metropolitan police forces, suggest a multi-layered approach to securing your car. Here are a few suggestions:

  -- Lock your doors and remove the key. Though it may seem common sense,
       according to the FBI, 80 percent of all cars stolen last year were
       unlocked at the time and 40 percent actually had the keys in the
       ignition. Always lock your car and take your key with you when
       exiting your vehicle. Additionally, never leave a spare key in your
       car. And to prevent easy access, you should also always close your
       windows all the way - even in the heat of summer. Park in well-lit
       areas and hide any valuables from plain sight to prevent being the
       easy target.
  -- Install an alarm and use additional locks. Audible alarms, especially
       with decal warnings displayed on your windows, can be a useful
       deterrent for thieves. Many new vehicles come with a standard alarm
       package, or you can have one installed for between $100 and $1,000.
       Additional locks, such as steering wheel locks, brake pedal locks and
       wheel locks, also make your car a less appealing target.
  -- Immobilize your vehicle. Fortunately, as thieves become more
       sophisticated, so do cars. Technology advancements such as the smart
       key and wireless, ignition authentication have made it nearly
       impossible for thieves to start a car without the key (see first
       tip). In the case of smart keys (which now come standard in some
       models), without the exact car key that is specially coded with a
       computer chip or radio frequency, the engine cannot be started.
       Hidden kill switches can also be installed inexpensively and fairly
       easily. They prohibit the flow of electricity to the engine until
       activated.
  -- Track your vehicle ... wherever it goes. Once your car is stolen, the
       chances that it will be recovered are in most cases low. Last year,
       only 59 percent of stolen vehicles were recovered. You can give
       yourself better odds by installing a GPS or other tracking system. If
       your car is stolen, be prepared to report it as quickly as possible.
       Keep a record of your vehicle's VIN number, your license plate number
       and insurance information with you at all times. And consider having
       your car's VIN number etched on the windows so it can be more readily
       identified by the authorities.

When protecting your vehicle, you can never be too cautious. Consider making an upgrade to your car's security system - wherever you live and whatever you drive - and you may be able to avoid being the next victim of car theft.

Liz Allison, a spokesperson for AutoVantage, is a NASCAR TV personality, radio host and best-selling author. She has served as a racing analyst for TNT, CNNSI, TNN, CNN, ESPN and ESPN2. Allison has appeared on NBC's "Today Show," CNN, Fox and Friends, ESPN, MSNBC, Fox News Weekend Live and the Speed Channel. She is host of the No. 1 NASCAR radio show in Nashville, called "The Drivers Zone," on WGFX-FM. Allison is also host and track announcer for the Nashville Superspeedway. She is the best-selling author of "The Girl's Guide to NASCAR" - and has written two sequels for Time Warner Books, the first of which was released Sept. 6 Allison has written three NASCAR Harlequin Romance novels, the first slated for November 2007 publication. She has penned articles for USA Today, NASCAR Scene, NASCAR Illustrated, NASCAR.com, MSN.com and FoxSports.com.

About AutoVantage

Members of AutoVantage (http://www.autovantage.com/ or 1-800-876-7787) can save from 5 to 20 percent on car care at some 19,000 service locations, including participating AAMCO, Jiffy Lube, Meineke and American Car Care Center locations. AutoVantage also offers 24-hour nationwide emergency towing, roadside assistance, and lockout protection from its network of more than 10,000 emergency roadside assistance providers. Trip routing for maps and door-to-door driving directions across the U.S. are also included. AutoVantage is offered by Affinion Group, a leader in the membership, insurance and loyalty marketing businesses, providing products and services that touch the lives of millions of Americans.

About Affinion Group

As a global leader with nearly 35 years of experience, Affinion Group (www.affinion.com) enhances the value of its partners' customer relationships by developing and marketing valuable loyalty, membership, checking account, insurance and other compelling products and services. Leveraging its expertise in product development and targeted marketing, Affinion helps generate significant incremental revenue for more than 5,200 affinity partners worldwide, including many of the largest and most respected companies in financial services, retail, travel, and Internet commerce. Based in Norwalk, Conn., the company has approximately 3,000 employees throughout the United States and in 14 countries across Europe.