KEY POINTS:
Home is not a safe haven from car thieves, according to figures released by the AA.
A survey of more than 2500 drivers found 42 per cent of thefts happened when the car was parked at home or on a nearby street.
Of those, 26 per cent happened when the car was parked in a garage, carport, or driveway.
AA Insurance chief Chris Curtin said doing a few simple things could make your car less attractive to thieves. Locking your car even when you were at home and parking under a streetlight were easy options.
"Thieves will always go for the easiest, fastest option ... if you make it just a little bit harder for them, the chances are they'll lose interest in your car and move on to an easier target," said Mr Curtin.
Mr Curtin said installing an alarm or immobiliser and then advertising the added security with stickers and flashing lights could help.
In a carpark, he suggested parking near the attendant or in front of a security camera.
AA's claim books show not all cars are equal in the eyes of thieves.
Nissan Silvias were thieves' favourite cars, with the Subaru Impreza WRX and BMW 325 coupe coming second and third.
Four of the top 10 were Subarus, including the Legacy turbo and non-turbo models and the Impreza non-turbo. Three of the top 10 were Nissans.
The figures were found by comparing the number of cars of a particular model insured with AA with the number of thefts claimed for that model.
Insurance Council head Chris Ryan said that in general, relatively cheap cars with turbo engines and low security were the most likely to be stolen.
The Insurance Council does not keep theft figures from across the industry.
But Mr Ryan said cars without an immobiliser or anti-theft device could be targeted by opportunists, especially if they were parked somewhere difficult to see.
"Generally you have a slightly higher chance [of having your car stolen] if you're away from sight of your house and in an unlit area," he said.
Having a top-notch security system was no guarantee of safety.
Mr Ryan said some newer cars were being stolen to order even though they had good anti-theft devices and were difficult to steal.
"This information serves as a reminder that people need to take all reasonable steps to prevent theft."
AA's 2008 Insurance Drivers Index showed about 84 per cent of us always lock our cars. Mr Ryan said car theft cost the insurance industry about $125 million in claims every year.
THIEVES TOP 10 FAVOURITES
1. Nissan Silvia
2. Subaru Impreza WRX
3. BMW 325 coupe
4. Nissan 200SX
5. Mazda Lantis
6. Subaru Legacy turbo
7. Subaru Impreza non-turbo
8. Nissan Skyline
9. Subaru Legacy non-turbo
10. Honda Prelude
(Source: AA Insurance claims for vehicles stolen between August 2004 and July 2008).
