It's Twelve O'Clock: Do You Know Where Your Car Is? Simple Anti-Theft Measures to Lower Your New York City Auto Insurance

Despite the fact that statistics show auto theft in New York City has dropped over 70% in recent years, car thieves and vandals are still among the more common (and expensive) criminals to target New York City drivers. Combining the continuous presence of car thieves and auto insurance companies that haven't figured out that falling crime rates should equal falling auto insurance premiums leaves little doubt in drivers' minds as to why finding low-budget auto insurance in New York City is extremely difficult to do.

The good news is, there are hundreds of simple, inexpensive (and some not so inexpensive) methods you can use to protect your car from thieves and vandals while simultaneously lowering your auto insurance premiums. For example:

• The Club-This is a safety measure most drivers are already familiar with, and it provides an effective and inexpensive deterrent to thieves who would love to liberate your car. This steering wheel lock comes in many forms and is available from numerous retailers for $50 or less.

• Brake Locks-The name says it all-your car's would-be proprietor isn't going anywhere! This simple device stops your brake and/or clutch pedal from being depressed, ensuring that even if a thief did find his way into your vehicle he isn't going to do much more than admire the scenery.

• Silent Alarms-Have you ever noticed how many people just ignore car alarms these days? These noisy alarms go off at the slightest provocation and can efficiently irritate an entire city block in seconds! It's really quite impressive, and it spawned a series of innovations that culminated in the silent alarm. Many New York City drivers are opting for these sophisticated pager systems, which send an alarm to their personal pager when the car is disturbed. You'll know immediately that someone is messing with your vehicle and you're not left wondering if that irritating beep belongs to you-or worse, completely clueless because you're out of hearing range.

• Built-In GPS Tracking Systems-With a built-in GPS tracking system you can quickly and efficiently pinpoint your car's location the moment you realize it's missing-ideally, before even the most techno-savvy of thieves has had time to find it and take it out. A built-in GPS tracking system exponentially increases your chances of getting your vehicle back after a theft, decreasing the chances that you will have to file a claim and, by default, lowering your auto insurance premiums.

• Kill Switch-This simple switch stops a thief from being able to start the vehicle. The unit is available for a fairly reasonable cost through most auto parts stores and disables any of several necessary circuits to stop your car from starting-or, if you attach it to the fuel pump, to limit the amount of distance the car is able to travel without being stolen.

There are many other anti-theft options available on the market that will lower your New York City auto insurance while protecting your car from would-be thieves. Explore the options available for your vehicle (some will void your warranty, so be careful), speak to your auto insurance provider and locate the system that works best for you.