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These days, millions of Americans are paying for auto insurance but may not know of the reasons why they pay a certain amount for their coverage. However, part of the reason for this is the risk of having their cars broken into or stolen - and it seems that the biggest hotspots for this kind of crime are mainly located in the state of California. For this reason, it might be wise for auto insurance agents to alert consumers living in these particularly risk-heavy areas to the potential dangers they face, and let them know what they can do to possibly cut the costs they face.

For 2013, nine of the 10 major metropolitan areas where vehicle theft rates were the highest were located in California, with only one city from outside 2012's top 10 making an appearance, according to the latest data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Topping the list was Bakersfield, California, followed by Fresno and Modesto.

Where else was on the list?
The San Francisco Bay area (including Oakland and Hayward) was fourth, and the Stockton and Lodi region was fifth, the report said. Only the Spokane, Washington, area - which ranked seventh - was the outsider on the list.

""In 2012, a small increase in vehicle thefts ended a consecutive eight-year run of decreasing thefts,"" the report said. ""However, the 2013 NICB data shows thefts are once again on the decline. This is in line with preliminary 2013 FBI vehicle theft data - released in February - that shows a 3.2 percent decrease in vehicle thefts for the first half of 2013. If the preliminary FBI data holds when the final 2013 vehicle theft figures are released, then there is a good chance that the national total will be close to what it was back in 1967.""

Insurance agents might want to keep in mind that consumers often don't mind paying higher prices for their insurance if they also get to enjoy high-quality customer service, but when low prices are coupled with iffy relationships, they may be tempted to start shopping around. As such, it is often a good idea for agents to make sure they're doing all in their power to ensure they are regularly communicating with clients and helping to educate them about why they pay what they do, and what can be done to improve that.

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