Should drivers be worried about what others can determine from their bumper stickers?

Greta Cross, Springfield News-Leader
·2 min read
1

Bumper stickers are a popular way for drivers to express themselves, whether it be the traditional stick family set, an honor roll banner or coffee shop logo one visits often.

For several years, police have been discussing the potential link between bumper stickers and crime. Bumper stickers give others personal information about drivers, which might be dangerous.

Family-oriented stickers appear to give out the most information. For example, a "Baby on Board" sticker indicates that the driver or other people in the car may be busy or distracted when exiting because of a young one. Honor roll or school-related stickers share where a driver's children are all day and extracurricular activity decals may imply a family is often not home on weeknights or weekends.

Stickers indicating one's profession also provide information about the driver's finances and time away from home. And even stickers that share a driver's favorite places can tell people where one may spend free time.

You may have seen social media posts circulating about this topic. But should folks really be worried about the stickers on their vehicles?

More: 10 unique places to stay in the Ozarks, including a cave, grain silo and 1920s gas station

Springfield Police Department Lt. Jason Laub said the department has not experienced any reports of car thefts related to vehicle stickers. Rather, car thefts are more commonly tied to unlocked vehicle doors and windows that have been left down, often by accident.

This year, the SPD has reported a total of 681 motor vehicle thefts, according to the National Incident-Based Reporting System. Nearly 60% of these reporters occurred at residences and 30% at commercial locations.

Motor vehicle thefts have the potential to become secondary crimes, like identify left. Laub used insurance cards as an example. If someone were to break into a vehicle and retrieve a driver's insurance card, they would be able to find where the owner lives, along with other personal information.

SPD recommends three tips for preventing motor vehicle theft, car break-ins and other potential crimes:

  • Take belongings with you when leaving the vehicle or conceal them in the trunk.

  • Keep your vehicle tidy.

  • Always lock your vehicle.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Can your bumper stickers give thieves too much information?