LoJack Offers Auto Theft Prevention Tips to Promote a Safe Holiday Season

Company Shares Best Practices to Avoid Sophisticated, Targeted Theft This Winter

CANTON, MA -- December 24, 2015: As the winter and holiday season approaches, LoJack Corporation has released tips for vehicle owners in order to protect valuable assets and promote safety this season. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), New Year's Day is the second most popular holiday for vehicle thefts, with a reported 2,011 cars stolen on that day in 2014. New Year's Eve and Christmas Eve are not far behind on the list of holiday crime with 1,858 and 1,750 vehicle thefts, respectively in 2014.

"The stress of the holiday season is often enough to distract vehicle owners from taking the appropriate safety measures during a time when thieves are known to be on the prowl," said Patrick Clancy, Vice President of LoJack Law Enforcement. "In recent years, vehicle theft has become much more sophisticated and we're dealing with even more challenges in protecting assets. As such, it is even more imperative that vehicle owners be smart and focus on the basics. Following these best practices can help to ensure a peaceful, happy holiday season and New Year."

To protect valuable assets and remain vigilant against advanced theft techniques, LoJack recommends the following best practices:

Be a secretive Santa: Conceal any valuables – including holiday gifts and gadgets – by stowing them in your trunk. Remember to lock your car, and be aware that gifts stored in your vehicle often give thieves additional motive to break in.

Turn off the sleigh: People love a warm car, and so do thieves – so don't leave a running vehicle unattended, even for a few minutes. Make sure to turn your car off and remove your keys at all times, even if it's just a quick trip back inside the house.

May your parking spots shine like a festival of lights: Park your car in a safe, well-lit area that gets plenty of foot traffic. You may be visiting family or attending a holiday party, but it's important to park your vehicle in a safe place as to avoid becoming a target for opportunistic thieves.

Peace on earth, specifically in your driveway: Using a stolen vehicle recovery system will provide peace-of-mind knowing that your vehicle can be recovered in case of theft. A LoJackŪ Stolen Vehicle Recovery System can help police track stolen vehicles, and cars, trucks and SUVs equipped with the LoJack System are recovered over 90 percent of the time.

How the LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System Works

The LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System offers the technology and recovery process that makes it an effective system for recovering stolen vehicles. Based on Radio Frequency technology, the system delivers strong signals that do not require line of sight with satellites or cell towers and can therefore track vehicles where other devices can't, such as in a steel container on a ship, in a parking garage or in dense foliage. When owners report their vehicles stolen to law enforcement, law enforcement can log the theft in national crime computers, which then can send out signals from towers to activate the LoJackŪ System. The LoJack System is directly integrated with law enforcement agencies around the country, which use LoJackŪ Police Tracking Computers to find and recover stolen vehicles. The LoJack System has a 90% recovery rate on cars, trucks and SUVs. LoJack unit activation is contingent upon the vehicle being located within LoJack's coverage area that spans counties across 29 states throughout the US. See lojack.com/coverage or call 1-800-4-LoJack. Lastly, the system utilizes a small wireless Radio Frequency transceiver—that is covert, making it difficult for thieves to find and disengage the system.

For information on the LoJack System and its coverage areas, visit LoJack and the Auto Theft Blog.