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Every 26 seconds, a motor vehicle is stolen in the United States. The odds of a vehicle being stolen were 1 in 190 last year. The odds of theft are highest in urban areas, where carjacking is more frequent: carjackings account for three percent of all motor vehicle thefts nationwide. Auto theft also includes auto component theft, which can even include airbags: more than 75,000 airbags are stolen every year in America.

Auto theft is covered by the optional comprehensive portion of auto insurance, which also pays for fire, vandalism and weather-related damage including damage from flooding and earthquakes.

If you like your car, chances are someone else will, too! Certain types of anti-theft devices have proven so effective that they will earn a discount from most insurance companies. These are the main types of vehicle anti-theft devices:

• Mechanical devices limit the steering wheel movement so thieves can’t drive your vehicle. Steering wheel locking bars such as “the Club” are the most common mechanical devices.
• Electronic immobilizers cut off power to parts of the vehicle’s ignition system so thieves can’t start the vehicle. Sometimes a vehicle alarm will also have an immobilizer built into the system.
• Vehicle alarms discourage thieves by drawing attention to your vehicle through loud noises (sirens, beeps, etc.). Sometimes they use flashing lights too.
• You can have your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) etched onto all of the windows. Chop shops will find your car much less appealing

All anti-theft devices are either active or passive. Active devices are ones you have to set yourself, usually by moving a switch, removing a separate key or pushing a button. This includes all mechanical devices, because you must physically set them in place each time you use them. Passive devices automatically arm themselves when you turn off the vehicle and remove the key. These are considered more effective because they don’t rely on human memory to be activated.

To qualify for a discount on your insurance, your vehicle must be equipped with a passive electronic immobilizer. In other words, you must have an electronic system that will cut off power to the fuel, starter or ignition system, and that automatically sets itself when you leave the vehicle.

To pick the best device for your situation, you should:

• Determine your budget. You can install a kill switch yourself for about $10 or you can outfit your rig with all possible protection for more than $1,000.
• Factory-installed security systems that come with new cars vary in quality. Before you buy a car, find out what security system is installed and check with your insurance company to learn whether they will give you a discount.
• A backup battery is important: your alarm is useless without one if a thief unhooks your battery. Some alarms will even send a message to your pager when your alarm has been set off.
• Use a fuel-switch or ignition-kill switch (also known as immobilizers) to prevent the car from being started. Make sure the switch is hidden, or else a thief can find it and easily bypass it. Many car alarms have an ignition-kill option.
• Find an alarm installer who is Mobile Electronics Certification Program (MECP) certified. Check with the Better Business Bureau first, and once the system is installed, ask the technician to show you how it works.

Most cars are stolen because they are easy prey. These tips can help:

1. Always take your keys. Nearly 20% of all vehicles stolen have the keys in them. Never leave your car running, even if you will only be gone for a minute. Vehicles are commonly stolen at convenience stores, gas stations, ATM’s, etc. Many vehicles are also stolen on cold mornings when the owner leaves the vehicle running to warm up.
2. Always lock your car. About 50% of all vehicles stolen are left unlocked.
3. Never hide a second key in your car. Car thieves know where to look for them.
4. Park in well-lighted areas. Over half of all vehicle thefts occur at night.
5. Park in attended lots. Auto thieves do not like witnesses.
6. Completely close your car windows when parking. Don’t make it any easier for the thief to enter your vehicle.
7. Park with your wheels turned to one side. Make your car tough to tow away, whether it’s in a parking lot or in your driveway.
8. Don’t leave valuables in plain view. Don’t make your car a more desirable target than it already is.

Having grown up in Alaska, and having written a piece last year about Understanding Earthquake Risks, I can definitely say that being prepared for such a disaster can mean the difference between life and death.  Here are some tongue-in-cheek tips to help you and your loved ones make it through a quake:

1. To minimize loss and damage in a quake, try not to own things.
2. Practice your burrowing-out-from-under-40-tons-of-rubble skills well ahead of time.
3. Look out your window often.  If you see a large, zig-zag-shaped crevasse moving rapidly from the horizon toward your home, step either to the right or the left.
4. Do you have a treasured safety blanket from your childhood, or perhaps a stuffed animal such as a teddy bear?  Well, let’s see Mr. Bear help you now.
5. If you fear earthquakes, it may comfort you to know that a majority of the damage during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake did not come from the tremors, but from the raging fires that consumed most of the city.
6. Because the safest place to be during a quake is outside in the middle of the street, it makes sense to always eat, sleep and have your fun there.
7. Be sure to mail your home-insurance payments a full five business days before a major earthquake strikes.
8. If a quake hits, get under something heavy such as a desk, a table or yo’ mama.
9. If you are caught in a major earthquake in Southern California and are part of the entertainment industry, take a moment to reflect on how sleazily you’ve wasted your life.
10. If you live in an area that’s not prone to earthquakes, it’s your responsibility to respond quickly to the plight of quake victims by phoning them and jeering “I told you so!”

(Note:  real safety tips are available in our special report Preventing Home Disasters.)

Recently we wrapped up the “Top 7 Super Consumer Tips” series. But an eighth important tip “stay safe from crime” was left out because it’s such a tall order to instruct anyone how to stay completely safe. Still, it’s well worthwhile to go over it even if it takes more time than the others:

The next time you venture out in your Aston-Martin supercar, try a little experiment. Guess how many cars you pass on the road on your drive to work (or the store or wherever it is you’re going.) For every 100 cars you pass, statistics show that if your area’s crime rate is just average, over a lifetime about 54 of the drivers will have their house burglarized, 31 of them will have their car stolen, 21 will suffer aggravated assault, 10 will be mugged, 2 will be forcibly raped, and 0.5 will be a murder victim. How many crime victims did you pass on your trip? Shocking, isn’t it!?

“Those who are incapable of committing terrible crimes do not readily suspect them in others.” ~ Francois De La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marcillac (1613-1680), French Writer

Some would say that crime ultimately happens when “bad karma” or “original sin” boomerangs on us. Others say that people subconsciously leave themselves vulnerable to crime because of some deep-seated “self-esteem” problem. What do these theories have in common? It’s the implication that if we replace inner flaws with some sort of fulfilled well-being, we’ll find the key to true safety. But if we let our core selves decay, then even if we avoid all crime, our inner flaws would eventually show up as worrisome money problems, painful health issues, or damaging mistakes.

“My lord fool, out of this thornbush of danger we shall pluck a flower — safety.” ~ William Shakespeare (1564-1616), English Playwright, Poet

If I knew of an easy way to communicate a path to spiritual or emotional fulfillment through the written word, I would do it now. But our life paths are a little different for everyone, and so we look inside for answers. So far the Magic Mirror, which borrows from the wisest sayings ever written down and the greatest visual artwork I could put on display, is the best I can offer to humanity.

“The greatest crime in the world is: not developing your potential. When you do what you do best, you are helping not only yourself, but the world.” ~ Roger Williams (1603-1683), British-American Indian Missionary, Founder of Rhode Island Colony

A recent salmonella outbreak has affected 145 people nationwide, linked to raw tomatoes. Salmonella infections can be deadly, especially to the elderly and the very young. It is often misdiagnosed as the flu. It generally occurs 12 to 72 hours after ingestion, and involves symptoms such as abdominal cramps, headache, fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Report any suspected foodborne illness to your local health department.

The government has not found the source, so please be advised to eat no uncooked tomatoes, except for those types of tomatoes not associated with the outbreak: cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, and tomatoes grown at home.

Always wash tomatoes thoroughly and cut away the green parts, both the part that is attached to the plant and the little green “button” on the other side. Wash all produce, whether organic or not, with cold running water. Outer layers of cabbage and lettuce should be removed rather than eaten. Here are other precautions you should take, according to the Center for Disease Control:

• Wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly before handling food.
• Wash your hands after contacting pet feces, using the bathroom, or changing a baby’s diaper.
• Wash cutting boards, counters and utensils to avoid cross-contamination.
• Avoid any kind of contact with raw meat when preparing fresh vegetables.
• Refrigerate sliced-up fruits and vegetables.

An article at Bankrate.com Life Stages Of Identity Theft reveals some astonishing facts about identity theft, which can victimize Children, Teens, Young Families, Middle-Aged and 50-Plus demographic groups.

Children are often victims of their parents or foster caregivers. One young man about 10 or 11 years old “discovered his father had stolen his identity and had run up a $5,000 debt.”

Young adults tend to be vulnerable because they leave their personal information vulnerable to file-sharing software, cell phone snooping, people walking through unlocked doors, accessing their unsecured computers and credit card bills laying around.

Middle-aged people tend to be victimized less, mainly becaues they are more likely to protect their computers and shred documents.

You might think that seniors are the most vulnerable people, but they are actually the least victimized demographic because they have become increasingly vigilant about fraud. Still, after they enter assisted living facilities or lose mental focus they are often targeted by impostors, family members, or even assisted-living personnel.

The Japan earthquake in November 2006 caused a tsunami (tidal wave) which destroyed some docks in California.  Experts believe that far worse tsunamis are likely to hit the west coast of America, with waves up to a hundred feet high.  Tsunamis can sometimes flow inland for a two miles or more, if the terrain is sufficiently low-lying.  They often come in successive waves, and there is no way to tell which wave will be the strongest.  If you feel an earthquake or hear a warning siren, get inland quickly!

A map of historical tsunamis is available online (however, it isn’t updated to include the Sumatran tsunami of 2005 that killed over 250,000.)  The Pacific Northwest and northern California are the most at-risk areas in America:  their offshore geology is very similar to Sumatra’s.  Big tsunamis rarely occur in the Atlantic ocean because of its relatively peaceful geology.  Tsunami preparedness is handled by state governments:  here’s a list of state agencies where you can find maps (often called “inundation maps”) that show where the dangerous areas are.

Would you like to know what the risk of an earthquake is in your area?  As a former Geology major (and as a survivor of the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964 that measured 9.2 on the Richter Scale — the largest in North American history), I can speak from first-hand experience.  An 8.0 or bigger earthquake happens about once every 20 years in Alaska, but the last time such a severe earthquake happened elsewhere in America was around 1700 when an approximately 8.5 - 9.0 earthquake rocked Indian villages throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Understanding the risk is the first step in making your home more earthquake-resistant, and deciding whether to add an earthquake rider to your home insurance.  There are a couple of ways to judge the risk of an earthquake to your own home.  First, you can get a rough estimate of what could happen from this earthquake hazard map:

This map shows the severity of earthquakes that may occur.  The type of earthquake that has hit America in the past century is unlikely to topple well-built modern homes:  earthquake codes require them to withstand quakes up to about 7.8 in magnitude, or even 8.5 for specially quake-proofed buildings.  Older buildings would have trouble standing up to even a 7.5 quake.  Structural damage can range from falling pieces to general collapse.

An 8.0 quake could occur along the Pacific rim or near Yellowstone Park, while a 7.5 quake might occur in the orange-colored areas of the above map.  A 7.5 quake near a major city might cause tens of thousands of fatalities.  Then again, the biggest earthquake this century — the 9.5 1960 quake in Chile — killed only 2,000 people, largely because foreshocks caused most people to run out into the street beforehand.  The northwest coast is a special case because while quakes are less frequent there, a very intense 8.5 - 9.0 quake in the deep Cascadia Subduction Zone occurs about twice in a millennium.  The next big quake in this zone is thought by some experts to be due to happen 100-300 years from now, but it could come sometime this century.

Finally, history is often an excellent guide to the future so here’s a USGS map of past earthquakes.  The red circles mark quakes measuring 7.3 or higher on the Richter scale, while the smaller yellow circles mark quakes ranging from 7.0 to 7.2:

Here’s a big World Earthquake Risk Map that covers risks everywhere.  The key to colors on this extra-large map is at its bottom center. 

What can you do about the danger of a quake?  That’s covered in the Home Disaster Prevention Report, which is free to the public.