Almost 10,000 vehicles were stolen in Dallas, Texas in 2018 — up 18% from the 7,934 auto thefts in 2017, reports Fox 4 News.

Police say four out of 10 stolen vehicles in Dallas are taken due to motorists being careless with keys. The 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 is the most-stolen vehicle in the city, according to police.

In a recently released report, the National Insurance Crime Bureau found Texas to rank among the top five states for cars stolen due to keys left inside. The others include California, Florida, Ohio, and Nevada.

Auto thieves are often hurting more than just the vehicle owner. In Dallas, there are several reports of people who unwittingly buy a stolen vehicle and then the police discover it and must return it to its rightful owner. The buyer of the stolen vehicle takes a big financial hit.

Country music singer-songwriter Gary P. Nunn recently joined motor vehicle crime prevention authorities to help raise awareness of the problem of auto theft across the state. The theme of the campaign is "If you like it, lock it."

Anti-theft technology works and is one of the primary reasons that overall auto thefts are down from their record high levels in the 1990s, according to the NICB.