For all of you who carry your pistol "on your person", are you knowingly disregarding the car-jacking/stop-light attacks or have you just not thought about it? For those who are utilizing some sort of cross-draw, or shoulder rig that is accessible when driving, this question is not for you. I am speaking to the people who have their trusty (fill in the blank) on their hip in a fancy holster, that is completely unaccessible with a seatbelt fastened. Do yourself a favor, and try a timed response test to see just how "accessible" that firearm is. Maybe one of us will be surprised by the results (perhaps me.)
The holster I use puts the handgun too far back on my hip to be of any use sitting down in a car w/ a seatbelt on. So, I have opted for a console gun. At first, I was nervous about it being stolen if my car was stolen, but then I realized that if my $20+K car was stolen, I wouldn't really worry much more because my $1K gun was in it. So, I sleep well at night. I can draw my handgun out of my console very quickly, much faster than if I had it in any other configuration. It's also beneficial that I don't even have to move anything but my arm to get to it (no body shifting or leaning.)
I guess this is just another example of people's preferences on the "accessibility vs. security" continuum. It probably wouldn't surprise you to know I leave a loaded shotgun propped up beside my bed.
J. Wise