How to Prevent Your Car From Being Stolen
Judging from the title of the post, it sounds almost straightforward about how to not get your vehicle stolen, vandalized, or have anything inside of your car get stolen.
Cars are actually one of the biggest and most common things that get stolen in big cities all across the U.S., and it’s estimated one car is stolen for every 50 people.
Needless to say, that’s actually a lot, and it doesn’t help that there are even online challenges to get people to do it (unfortunately) do it.
So, when it comes to preventing your car from being stolen, what exactly can you do? Clearly, this issue is more common than what the average person believes. Well, it is possible to entirely prevent it from being stolen, vandalized, etc., and here is everything you need to know to help prevent it from happening to you!
Start Off By Keeping Your Car Locked
Keeping your car locked and secure is one of the most effective ways to prevent it from being stolen. Whether you’re leaving it in your driveway, at work, or in a public parking lot, always lock the doors and close the windows when you leave. This is the most obvious, but surprisingly, there are still a lot of people that leave their cars unlocked. You need to keep in mind that thieves usually know how to hotwire a car to make it run, so just getting access to the inside of your car can still make all the difference.
But what about those who can’t lock their door? For some cars, the locks may be broken; while it’s unfortunate, it happens. If you’re not able to lock your vehicle, consider purchasing a GPS tracker that will send you an alert if it’s stolen. This will help you to identify it and report the incident to the police. But it’s vital to try to get the locks on your door fixed ASAP with the help of an auto locksmith; it’s not just about preventing your car from getting stolen, but this will keep you safe too.
Avoid Leaving it Running
Unless you have your pet inside of the car while you’re quickly running into the grocery store, you’re better off not letting it run if it’s not attendant. Honestly, leaving your car running is a surefire way to catch the attention of thieves. It makes your car a very easy target. A thief can simply turn your key in the ignition, open the door and steal the vehicle. Oftentimes, there isn’t an alarm (unless it’s a smart car), or at least it’s not going to go off if the car is running. So that’s only going to make it extra easy for a thief to steal.
Similarly, a car that’s left idling for long periods of time is a waste of fuel and can cause carbon monoxide poisoning (if it’s in an enclosed area). It’s best to only leave your car running when you are inside the vehicle, especially if it’s in a garage or attached to your home.
Never Leave Valuables in the Car
This is obvious, but sadly way too many car owners constantly make this mistake. If something is visible and it’s showing, thieves will take it if they can. That very well could include a toy or even loose change. So you’re better off not having anything in sight whatsoever. The best thing to do is move everything out of the vehicle before you park it. This includes your wallet, purse, cash, or other valuables.
Thieves are looking for easy pickings, so don’t leave anything they can steal in your vehicle. You can also make it more difficult for them to access your trunk if you hide your valuables in it before parking the vehicle. It’s not even just about stealing, but the vandalism too. Fixing up those broken car windows cost a lot of money, so dealing with removing everything will save you stress and money in the long run.
Try to Park in Well-Lit Areas
Whenever you can, try to park in well-lit areas, whether it be a parking lot, parking garage, or wherever, it can help deter thieves and make it easier for witnesses to spot suspicious activity in a parking lot. A poorly lit parking lot is a dangerous place for pedestrians and drivers. Thieves tend to hang around these areas, and it’s going to be a lot harder for CCTV footage to pick up anything, either.
