Don’t make yourself an easy target!
Seeing the news, watching Facebook and Twitter feeds and even reading the good ‘ol newspaper make it evident that petty crimes including car theft and car burglary are on the rise.
The truth is that if a thief wants to steal your car, there’s very little you can do to prevent that from happening – professional car thieves know exactly what to do, and how to make your car disappear without leaving so much as a trace. But, not every car thief is a professional, so we thought we’d provide some info that might help prevent your vehicle from being stolen or broken into, or both! And, while some of the below may seem plainly obvious, they are things that many of us don’t do because we get into a comfort zone of believing “it couldn’t happen to me” or “not where I live” or “it’s never happened before,” or otherwise. In truth, car theft and burglary can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere.
Try these easy tips which may not eliminate all risk, but can significantly reduce it:
Never leave your car unlocked, even if just for a few minutes.
Never leave your keys in your car.
Don’t leave valuables in your car, and if you have to, leave them where they are not in plain sight.
Never leave your car running, or unattended.
Even on hot days, don’t leave your windows open. No, not even a little bit.
Instead of storing your registration/title/paperwork with your name/address in your car, carry it with you. (Note – if you let someone else drive your car, they need to have at least the registration and proof of insurance with them.)
When parking, park in a well lit area, and if in a parking garage, not near the entrance or exit.
Don’t leave a spare key inside, or attached to your vehicle. They’re too easy to find.
If you don’t have one, think about adding an alarm system with an ‘ignition kill’ to your vehicle.
Remove any portable electronic devices from sight, and if possible from the car – navigation systems, iPods, etc. Even leaving loose cords in the car is an indication to a car thief or burglar that the items normally connected to those cords are in the car.
If you have any valuable items in your car, don’t move them from one location to another in the car while in public view.
Unfortunately, and even doing all of the above, more than one million vehicles are stolen annually. If your car gets stolen, be sure to call the police and file a report, and to also call your insurance carrier.
Thoughts? Questions? Give us a call, and we’d be happy to help.