It looks like some Georgians have gotten fined for autostarting their vehicles on cold days.

Louise Wood is one of 14 people ticketed since January by Forest Park police for violating Georgia code section 40-6-201. The 33-year-old law was meant to prevent cars from rolling away. In Forest Park, a city of 22,000 people in Clayton County, authorities have begun enforcing it in an effort to prevent auto theft.

The ticket runs $168. Wood plans to fight her ticket and so does her apartment complex neighbor, James Holland, 44, who got a ticket at 6:05 a.m. on Feb. 5, minutes before Wood got hers.

Forest Park police Major Chris Matson said Forest Park's warmup stings are part of a citywide campaign to cut down on stolen cars. Auto theft in Forest Park dropped by 25 percent last year, from 240 in 2005 to 180 in 2006. But Matson said 11 cars left warming and unattended were stolen during the first five weeks of 2007. "Thieves are just walking around these apartment complexes and store parking lots, looking for exhaust coming out of tailpipes," Matson said. "They're thinking, 'That's my way to get to school or work.' "

I know I wouldn't be able to get by on some of the colder days without autostarting my car while I'm nice and warm inside my apartment.