This holiday season, auto burglars will shop the easy way -- by stealing gifts, purses, wallets, packages, electronics, or other valuables left in plain sight inside vehicles. Every two minutes, a vehicle is burglarized in Texas and the contents stolen. These crimes escalate during the holiday season when people shop more often.

Unfortunately, drivers often don't take necessary precautions to avoid becoming burglary victims.

The Texas Automobile Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority, a division of the Texas Department of Transportation, offers three basic safety tips to motorists to help prevent vehicle crimes during the holidays and throughout the year.

• hide belongings from view. • lock vehicles.

• take keys.

Last year, thieves committed over 262,000 acts of vehicle burglary and stole over 94,000 vehicles in Texas. In some jurisdictions, more than half of reported thefts occurred because vehicle doors were unlocked and keys were left inside. "We want everyone to enjoy the holiday season and not experience the violation and frustration of having their vehicles burglarized or stolen," said Charles Caldwell, interim director of the ABTPA. "We encourage all vehicle owners and operators to help prevent such crimes from happening by practicing simple theft-prevention measures."

When vehicles are stolen, thieves have easy access to everything left inside, including items such as garage door openers, house keys, and personal information, which can all lead to additional and more serious crimes as well as further victimization of the vehicle owner. "We know that auto burglars scout malls, shopping centers and other retail parking lots this time of year looking for the perfect opportunity to break into vehicles,"said Michelle Latham, program coordinator for ABTPA's Reduce Auto Theft in Texas public awareness task force at the University of North Texas Caruth Police Institute in Dallas.

"Within seconds, these criminals can get inside a car, steal the contents, and be on their way from the scene. And experienced thieves can steal a vehicle without keys in less than a minute."

Texas drivers need to understand that carelessness with items left inside vehicles actually helps thieves carry out their crimes more efficiently and potentially engage in further criminal activity," Latham said.

The Texas Auto Theft Prevention Authority was created by the Texas Legislature in 1991 to fund programs to reduce vehicle thefts. The passing of House Bill 1887 in 2007 expanded the scope of the agency to include automobile burglary prevention and added the term "burglary" to the Authority's title.

For more information on the ABTPA, auto burglary, vehicle theft, prevention, statistics or contacts for any of ABTPA's 29 Texas vehicle crimes task forces call (800) CAR-WATCH or visit the ABTPA Web site at www.txwatchyourcar.com.