Ohioans must be too trusting.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported Wednesday that too many residents are leaving their keys in their vehicles, making them an easy target for auto thieves.
Ohio ranked fourth nationwide for such auto thefts, with a total of 8,623 reported over a three-year period from 2013 to 2015.
California led the nation with 22,580.
It’s a growing problem nationwide, with one in eight vehicle thefts involving the keys being in the vehicle, the Des Plaines, Ill.-based bureau said.
The 57,096 thefts reported nationwide last year amounted to a 22 percent increase over the previous year. The group noted that many people don’t admit they left their keys in the vehicle, meaning the actual numbers likely are even higher.
“Anti-theft technology has had a tremendous impact on reducing thefts over the past 25 years, but if you don’t lock it up, it’s not going to help,” bureau President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Wehrle said in a prepared statement. “Complacency can lead to a huge financial loss and inconvenience for the vehicle owner.”
The bureau advised drivers to lock their vehicles, engage any alarm and take the keys.
The Cleveland-Elyria metro area ranked first in Ohio, with 2,634 such thefts over the three-year period. It also was the 10th worst nationwide.
The Canton-Massillon area ranked fifth, with 527.
The Akron metro area, which covers Summit and Portage counties, was ninth with 115 such thefts.
The bureau noted that most of the thefts occurred on Saturday (22,081), followed closely by Monday (21,851) and Friday (21,652).
The most popular day of the year for such thefts was Christmas Eve.