Video: Driving Smart: Holiday Theft

Among the major American holidays, those falling at the end of the year are crunch time for crooks. In 2015, Christmas Eve ranked number four with nearly 2100 thefts. Meanwhile, New Year's Eve ranked number two with more than 2200 deaths. But there is at least some rest for the wicked. Compared to the daily average for the year, Christmas Day and New Year's Day were relatively quiet. Thanksgiving also ranks fairly low, but Black Friday, while not a holiday, was a bargain bonanza for crooks who scored hot deals on 2244 cars, outpacing even the number one car theft holiday, Halloween. After years of steady decline, auto theft is on the rise as thieves find clever new ways of cracking your car's anti-theft technology, but a little common sense goes a long way. Keep your car locked when unattended and never leave the key or fob inside, as 57,000 people did last year, resulting in a 22% spike in theft by key. Remove anything of value from view, as even an empty backpack looks appealing to a thief. Stow packages in the trunk before driving to the next store in case you're being watched, and never leave your garage door opener in the car or program your home address into your GPS system under Home, as it could lead thieves straight to your house. Follow these tips and your biggest problems this holiday season will be bad fruitcake and worse, sweaters. (techno-style music)