U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for July 20

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110428/DC91889LOGO)

SATURDAY, JULY 20: VEHICLE PREVENTION

Profile America — Saturday, July 20th.  It took a while after the invention of the gas-powered automobile by Karl Benz in Germany in 1886 for someone to steal the wheels. The first stolen car is said to be of a French aristocrat's Peugot in Paris in 1896.  In this country, the first auto theft is believed to have occurred in St. Louis in 1905. But this slow beginning has become an all-too-robust present. With July and August being the peak months for automotive thefts, this is National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month. The goal is to raise public awareness of the danger, and remind drivers to above all take their keys and lock their vehicles. Nearly three-quarters of a million cars, trucks and busses are stolen annually, with the average loss for owners valued at nearly $6,500. Profile America is in its 17th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources:  www.nhtsa.gov/Vehicle+Safety/Vehicle-Related+Theft/Theft+Prevention.
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 321

Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau