Auto theft is largely a big-city crime. Obviously, population density makes a difference in the auto theft rate, but the urban reality is that more cars are parked on the street or in open parking lots than in secured personal garages. The sheer amount of cars in urban areas makes it very difficult for the police to identify a recently stolen car from among the thousands of similar looking vehicles in traffic. The police will admit to getting lucky sometimes by recovering a recently stolen car because of a tail-light being out or when the car thief commits a minor traffic violation like speeding or failing to stop at a stop sign.

An experienced car thief can steal your car in less than a minute. Many crude thieves simply smash the drivers’ window. Most cars are seemingly stolen for the value of their parts. According to insurance companies, a $20,000 stolen vehicle can be stripped and sold into $30,000 worth of parts inventory to unscrupulous scrap and auto-body shops. Stolen cars, vans, trucks, and motorcycles cause economic hardship for victims and increase everyone's insurance premiums.

Here are some free things you can do to help prevent car theft:

* Take Your Keys. Nearly 20 percent of all vehicles stolen have the keys in them.

* Lock Your Car. Approximately 50 percent of all vehicles stolen were left unlocked.

* Never hide a second set of keys in your car. Extra keys can be easily found if a thief takes time to look.

* Park in well-lighted areas. Over half of all vehicle thefts occur at night.

* Park in attended lots. Auto thieves do not like witnesses and prefer unattended parking lots.

* If you park in an attended lot, leave only the ignition/door key. If your trunk and glovebox use the same key as the door, have one of them changed. Don't give the attendant easy access to your glovebox and trunk. Upon returning, check the tires, spare tire, and battery to be sure they are the same as those you had when you parked.

* Never leave your car running, even if you will only be gone a minute. Vehicles are commonly stolen at convenience stores, gas stations, ATMs, etc. Many vehicles are also stolen on cold mornings when the owner leaves the vehicle running to warm up.

* Completely close car windows when parking. Don't make it any easier for the thief to enter your vehicle.

* Don't leave valuables in plain view.. Don't make your car a more desirable target and attract thieves by leaving valuables in plain sight.

* Park with your wheels turned toward the curb.. Make your car tough to tow away. Wheels should also be turned to the side in driveways and parking lots.

* If your vehicle is rear-wheel drive, back into your driveway. Rear wheels lock on four-wheel drive vehicles, making them difficult to tow. Front-wheel drive vehicles should be parked front end first.

* Always use your emergency brake when parking. In addition to ensuring safety, using the emergency brake makes your car harder to tow.

* If you have a garage, use it.. If you have a garage, take the time to use it rather than parking outside where your vehicle is more vulnerable.

* When parking in a garage, lock the garage door and your vehicle. By locking both the garage and vehicle doors, the chances of deterring a thief greatly improve.

* Don't leave the registration or title in your car. A car thief will use these to sell your stolen car. File the title at your home or office, and carry registration in your purse or wallet.

* Disable your vehicle when leaving it unattended for an extended period of time. Remove the electronic ignition fuse, coil wire, rotor distributor, or otherwise disable your vehicle anytime thieves may have extended access to it.

* Replace T-Shaped door locks with straight locks. Some vehicle doors have lock assemblies at window level that flare out in a knob or "T" shape. A thief can use various tools to gain access inside the vehicle, grab and pull the lock. Straight locks prevent this.

* Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Stolen cars/parts are more easily traced when vehicle VIN numbers have been etched on car windows and major parts.

* Engrave expensive accessories. Engrave personal ID numbers on car stereos, cellular phones, etc., so the thief will have difficulty disposing of them.

Acura is a make that took birth as Honda’s luxury division. It is not an ordinary brand of automobile that manufactures cars for the plebian. Ever since its introduction, eulogies have poured down in a torrent. Almost every year since its sensational entry into the North American market in 1986, it has won some or another prestigious award.

When a car model stays so much ahead of the competition in terms of luxury, refinement and class, it is only natural that its future products are an indication of automobile engineering is set to take in the future. As it so rightly says, the trail future Acura cars will blaze will be the “fertile ground for the next generation of automobiles.”

Let us take a look at some of these models that will have the turf blazing; onlookers agape and the competition jittery.

The phenomenon called the 2009 Acura RL
Future Acura cars will be built on what it plans for the 2009 Acura RL. When it debuted in 1996 as replacement for the celebrated Legend, the car that put Acura on the road to the luxury market, it aroused expectations, quite predictably. In fact, it was known in some quarters as “Replaces Legend”. It has come up with some or another innovation since its launch.

For 2009, we hear that it plans to bring in a magnificent 300 horsepower engine that will have a tighter suspension along with a more refined Super Handling All Wheel Drive, another Acura novelty, for greater ease at cornering.

Luxury blends with utility
And yes, all talk about Acura will invariably veer around luxury and sophistication. The 2009 Acura RL does not disappoint on this score as a future concept car, improving on its core feature. It will have AcuraLink, Real-time traffic system with Traffic Rerouting by which you can get over freeway traffic congestion by simply bypassing it.

Then, you get a clear review of the prevailing weather conditions and a forecast with its AcuraLink weather.

These are but a small blip in the vast spread of innovations it will be bringing for this year’s model. The front and rear have become more futuristic, indicative of the design we can expect the RL to be coming in. The interiors have become more posh and cushier then ever. Future cars from Acura are expected to have these features.

The new paradigm in sports car motoring
It plans to bring about some more innovative technologies in the years to come for its models. It will bring out the Advanced Sports Car Concept. A glimpse of what connoisseurs can expect was provided when this concept was unveiled at the 2007 North American International Auto Show. If this is going to be the heir apparent to the already sensational Acura NSX, the level of sophistication may well be imagined.

This model is a blend of the ultra-luxurious and the super-powerful. It will be a V10 rear-wheel drive-modeled version of Acura’s Super Handling All Wheel Drive. Acura plans to bring about a long hood and sculpted sides. Having emphasized on novelty, it does not take away the emotional association the NSX had with its fans. Some design aspects such as the LED headlights have been deliberately designed in a fashion that brings back memories of the NSX. It has innovations in just about every aspect, from the wheels or the brakes, and the door handle to the carbon fiber underbody.

Taking a cue from nature
The idea on which the 2009 Acura RL is built is that sports cars should synchronize with nature. The idyllic setting of southern California has been the inspiration and backdrop for this new feature. The theme on which this technology is going to be created is the happy bundle of contradictions that nature is.

Advanced Sedan Concept – stretching the limits of the sedan
The next treat awaiting Acura fans is Acura’s Advanced Sedan Concept. Termed “the future of luxury”, the emphasis of this concept is freedom.The concept of this future Acura car fuses a terrific exterior with a feel so luxurious; one has to experience it to believe it.

The platform on which the Advanced Sedan Concept is built is complete independence for the driver while giving it an aura of mystic presence. With its huge 22-inch front and 23-inch back tires; aluminum wheels that have sheen; low bumper; stunning headlights and ultra powerful disc brakes being among its features, this concept is set to represent a double treat.

The old legend is resurrected
There is yet more to come. Future Acura cars led by the 2010 Acura NSX are set to scorch the roads soon. This new avatar of the perennial favorite has been built on the same platform as the S2000. It is believed Acura has a near-limo version of the S2000 in the 2010 Acura NSX. It is believed this car will be wider and longer. It will have a different architectural layout from the earlier NSX. It is speculated this will carry a 3.2-liter, V6 engine with a deadly output of 290 horses. This of course, is just rumor, but we never know what surprise will spring out from the Acura!

Luxury weds power and economy
There is a rumor that the 2011 Acura RL is also in the pipeline. Aimed at taking on its German competitors headlong, the 2011 Acura RL is believed to pack more excitement than we have got accustomed to getting from Acura. The grapevine has it that Acura is building this model on a 420 horse, 4.2-liter V8 with a rear-wheel drive. With the cylinder deactivation found on a V6, this will mean greater fuel economy. All these years, Acura used to be associated with luxury. With this model, more qualities will be added to it –power and fuel economy! When future Acura cars will incorporate these features, can life get any better?

With the features list of future models being nearly endless, they represent the perfect continuum of the luxury that Acura has brought like no other manufacturer has. For the user, it only means great tidings of a luxurious future!

It’s probably too early to know if open-source software design principles can translate to hardware–in particular, automobiles–but it is a sign of the cultural power of that ideal that two different teams of designers have arisen to attempt to build “open source automobiles.” Anyone is invited to contribute ideas and talent, and the process requires open sharing and collaboration at all stages of design and construction. The big question is, will it work? Can open-source principles work in a radically different, physical medium?

Markus Merz, the German founder of the OScar project, states his goal as follows: “Building a car without an engineering center, without a boss, without money and without borders. But with the help of the collective creativity of the Internet community….” The project started in 1999, and by 2006 announced that it had prepared version 0.2. This meant that the designers had agreed upon a design concept that would be the basis for future planning and building.

That year, there were three core people managing the project, with about 110 people from around the world contributing to it, and another 1,000 who were registered users on the site. Merz estimated he spends two days a week on the project. For more, see the Business Week article on OScar and New Assignment.

Another open-source car design project known as “c,mm,n” (“common” without the “o’s”) was launched in March 2007 by The Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment. This project has some serious backing—three technical universities in Delft, Eindhoven and Twente; partners such as the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Transport; and two corporate sponsors, Athlon Car Lease and Rabobank.

The c,mm,n invites designers and users to help develop a “car of the future” whose blueprints will be freely available as “open source” design plans. There will be no formal “end” to the project; it will be an ongoing project carried on by a community of volunteers. All improvements to the design will be available to everyone.

The sponsors of the c,mm,n want to design a car that holds answers to the following questions: *What kind of system do we need to ensure our freedom to move in the future?

* How do we make the system truly sustainable to people and planet, and ensure that everyone profits from it?
* What kinds of vehicle would function best in this system?
* What steps do we take towards creating this system?
* In the meantime, which elements or ideas can we already put into practice?

 A non-working concept version of the c,mm,n was introduced at an Amsterdam car show in March 2007 AutoARI It is hoped that a proof-of-concept c,mm,n will be presented at the AutoRAI in 2009.

There is a touch of zaniness to the idea of an open-source automobile. But then, that’s also what was said about Richard Stallman in 1984 when he started the Free Software Foundation, whose work initiated key elements later resulting in the GNU Linux operating system. So who knows if open-source principles can be folded into the manufacturing process?. So why not an open-source car?

The steps to making an appropriate claim begin immediately following an accident. After an accident, the policyholder must inform their insurance agent right away. Usually insurance claims offices have emergency claim help line numbers or a 24-hour claims assistant number. The staff helping with your claim will take down the details of the accident, including date and time, location, as well as damage and/or injuries incurred.

While the insurance representative is taking this information, they will check that cover is provided under the policy and give information on how to proceed with the claim, offering advice and guidance. When checking this information, the claims agent will make sure that the vehicle and driver were authorised under the policy. Also, the claims agent will check to see if any details of the accident exclude cover for any repairs.

In checking this, the agent will determine whether all damages arising from the accident are covered by the insurance policy. This would include checking for comprehensive cover if the policyholder sustained damage to their own vehicle. If the insured only had just Third Party or fire and theft, the damage to the vehicle would not be covered by the claim. The final step is ensuring the policyholder is up to date on payments of premiums, and that they are paid in full. The insurer will also satisfy that all information given in regards to the accident is complete and accurate.

These claims can be completed over the phone, giving a verbal statement. This process helps decrease the need for written claims, which can be time consuming for the policyholder and the insurer. Written claims are still necessary in certain circumstances, such as serious injury and/or property damage.

Insurers will also require an estimate of damage from approved garages. Use of approved garages will expedite the process of the claim by reducing paperwork, and they are also more cost effective and efficient for the insurance company. If the car is immobile due to damage, the insurer will usually cover the cost of removal and relocation by way of towing.

The approved garage and an engineer from the insurance company complete the estimate together to corroborate that the damage is consistent with the policyholder’s claim. If the claim and damage are consistent, the engineer will authorise the repairs to be completed. To help reduce the inconvenience to the insured, hire cars are often available through the insurer.

The use of an approved garage is in the best interest of the insured. The engineers may take longer in giving approval as the garage may be out of the area of his daily rounds, and a more detailed estimate may be required to authorise the repairs.

When repairs are completed on the vehicle, the insurance company will compensate the garage. This amount is the total for the repairs and labor less the amount in excess the policyholder pays. After this, the claim is completed and the insured receives the vehicle back.

If there is injury or substantial property damage, a claims investigator may be used in order to further inspect the circumstances surrounding the accident. This process involves taking statements from those who witnessed the accident, and it also includes the collection of evidence necessary in case of litigation.

If the vehicle incurred damage beyond economic repair, the insurer will offer the policyholder a sum equal to the market value of the vehicle at the time of accident. The value usually is determined largely by the use of “Glass’s Guide.” This guide factors purchase price, age, mileage, condition and overall depreciation of the motor vehicle. The engineers will also factor vehicle modifications in estimating the market value of the car.

Final claim payment is negotiated between the two parties, the insurer and the insured. The claim is resolved when all payments have been met and when all information has been collected in regards to the accident.

Remember, people have accidents every year and do not get the sum due to them for pain and suffering largely because of lack of education. Research is important to further your knowledge of not only how to make a claim, but to further your knowledge on your rights.

If you don't already have the amount of auto insurance you'd like to, fill out our short form, and a SimplyFinance representative will put you in touch with an insurance agent who will answer any questions you may have about auto insurance coverage. In addition, this agent will search through multiple quotes from different companies to find the coverage that's right for you.