Vehicle thefts may be down nationwide, according to preliminary figures from the FBI, but that's not the case in most South Carolina cities. Seven out of ten metro areas in SC saw their vehicle theft rates increase in 2008, according to the National Crime Bureau's annual report on auto thefts.

The Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach area had the highest vehicle theft rate in the state and the entire Southeast last year. Its national ranking also moved up from 23rd in 2007 to 15th highest in the nation in 2008. Allison Dean Love, with the South Carolina Insurance News Service, says, "I've talked to the law enforcement officials in Myrtle Beach and they have said that some of the reasons are because of the large number of tourists and people who come into the area every year, and a lot of the large public events that take place, and they're also very close to the North Carolina state line, so they can get the cars out faster."

Anderson is the second-highest ranked for auto thefts in the state and now ranks 29th in the nation, up from 42nd in 2007.Greenville ranks 7th in the state and Spartanburg is 8th. The number of vehicle thefts in Greenville actually went down last year, from 2,515 in 2007 to 2,462 in 2008, but it still went up in the national rankings. It ranked 75th in 2007 and 65th last year. Spartanburg saw a decline in thefts and its ranking, going from 64th in 2007 to 71st last year.

The Florence metro area had the 9th-highest vehicle theft rate in the state, with 734 vehicles stolen, up from 710 in 2007. It moved up in the national rankings from 98th in 2007 to 73rd last year.

Charleston and North Charleston also moved up, going from a rank of 132 in 2007 to 102 last year.

Besides Spartanburg, the only other metro areas that improved were Augusta-Aiken, which went from 55th to 56th, and the Charlotte area, which includes York County, SC. It went from having the 38th highest vehicle theft rate in 2007 to having the 50th.

Even if your car is never stolen, this news affects you. Vehicle theft influences what we all pay for auto insurance, especially comprehensive coverage, Love says. She says no one knows why the rates in South Carolina are going up while going down in the rest of the nation. It doesn't sense to blame it on the bad economy, since that's happening nationwide.

There are steps you can take to protect your vehicle, though. Some are the common sense suggestions we've all heard before: don't leave your keys in the car; lock your doors and park in well-lit areas. Others you might not think about.

Lt. Chris Cowan, spokesman for the Richland County Sheriiff's Department in Columbia, says auto break-ins often lead to auto thefts. "Be aware of the valuables that you're in and enticing people to your vehicle," he says. He also says it's a bad idea to hide a key in a magnetic holder somewhere on your vehicle or to leave your car running to warm it up while youu're inside the house. He says a group several years ago would load up a van, drive to a neighborhood and let several people out to look for cars warming up in front of homes, then steal them.

"A lot of people don't understand, too, when you park in your driveway: if you have front-wheel drive, you need to park facing in; if you have rear-wheel drive, you need to be backed in. That helps prevent the car from being stolen by towing means," he says. Love also says there' s step you can take before you even buy a vehicle. "Consider the vehicle theft loss record. You can look that up online, so you can find out if the car that you're buying or that you own may be prone to theft. So think about that on the front end," she says.