The summer months brings a rise in temperatures, sun burns and car theft. A little common sense will deter thieves.

The summer driving season is upon us and Americans are driving more than ever and apparently that’s good news for car thieves as more motorists means more opportunities.

Summer, particularly July and August, are the busiest time for auto thieves, according to LoJack, the anti-theft device maker.

“Vehicle theft is a very expensive crime, with the cost of stolen vehicles pegged at more than $4.1 billion — that’s billion with a B,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement. “And July is one of the months when more cars are stolen than any other month.”

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The agency claims that a vehicle is stolen in the United States every 46 seconds. Other important facts include:

• Nearly half of vehicle theft is due to driver error.
• The top two months for vehicle thefts are July and August.
• There were 689,527 vehicles reported stolen in the United States in 2014.
• Nearly 45% of stolen vehicles are never recovered.

One reason for the last statistic is that increasingly, car thieves are linked to large international crime rings that smuggle stolen cars out of the country to sell, or dismantle to sell the parts.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau has reported that as anti-theft features make modern cars increasingly difficult to steal, as with all things the criminals are diligently working to counter those measures with increasing rates of success.

But like much, if not most, criminal activity, auto theft is largely a crime of opportunity.

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“Research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has found that nearly half of all vehicles are stolen when drivers fail to take some simple precautions,” the agency noted. “Don’t make it so easy for car thieves.”

To deter thieves or make yourself less of a target for other crimes related to the theft of your vehicle, NHTSA recommends taking the following steps:

• Park in a well-lit area, preferably a garage.
• Take the keys with you and do not leave them in or on the car, and never leave the car running when you’re not inside.
• Close and lock all windows and doors when you park.
• Never leave valuables in your vehicle, especially in plain sight; if you must leave something behind, lock it in the trunk.
• Have your car fitted with an anti-theft device. LoJack recommends devices such as wheel locks, car alarms and immobilizers, as well as a tracking-and-recovery system like those it manufactures.
• Don’t program your home address into your GPS system under “home,” as it could lead thieves straight to your house. Instead, program your address under another name.

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If your vehicle is stolen, NHTSA says to remain calm, contact police, file a stolen-vehicle report and notify your insurance provider to submit a claim. If you find your vehicle before the authorities, notify police and your insurance company immediately.