FREE VINetching — Doylestown

A free VIN etching event will be held at Thompson Toyota in Doylestown on Saturday, April 21, through a partnership between the Thompson dealership and the District Attorney’s Auto Theft Prevention, Awareness and Education Program.

The event, sponsored through a grant from the Pennsylvania Auto Theft Prevention Authority, will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Thompson Toyota, 122 West Swamp Road (Routes 313 and 611) in Doylestown. It is open to all members of the public.

“We are pleased to partner with Thompson Toyota to offer this valuable, free crime-prevention service to our citizens,” District Attorney Matthew D. Weintraub said. “VIN etching has a deterrent effect on car thieves, and the best way to fight crime is to prevent it in the first place. We hope to see you on April 21.”

VIN etching is the permanent engraving of a vehicle’s unique, 17-character, federally registered Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) onto its windshield and all other window glass, including sun and moon roofs.

Because no two vehicles have the same identification number, VINs provide useful information about a car, such as its make, model and year – and also help law enforcement officials identify a stolen vehicle.

VIN etching not only makes it difficult for thieves to profit from selling windows and windshields, but it also makes it harder for thieves to sell a stolen vehicle without first replacing the etched window glass.

VIN plates are typically affixed to the lower left side of most dashboards, but thieves are able to grind them down or replace them with different VIN plates. VIN etching permanently affixes the identification number to auto glass through a chemical process that neither harms the glass nor detracts from the vehicle’s appearance.

A number of insurance companies offer comprehensive coverage discounts to customers with VIN-etched vehicles, reasoning that such vehicles are less attractive to auto thieves. Please contact your insurer to find out whether your vehicle is eligible.