Your vehicle provides you with access to places like work, school, the grocery store and other daily needs. If it were stolen, you’d really feel its lack of presence. So, you should do as much as possible to avoid vehicle theft.
Here are preventative steps you can take.
Think about why cars are stolen
To prevent theft, you need to think like a thief. Consider the reasons someone might want to steal your vehicle. The most common reasons are the desire to use the vehicle (usually juveniles looking to joyride), selling the parts of the vehicle and using the vehicle to conceal identity when committing a crime.
Vehicle owners need to think about the factors that can attract a thief to their car. Some include:
● Leaving the keys inside the vehicle
● Leaving the vehicle running using remote start
● Having windows open
● Having the doors unlocked
● Parking the car outside
● Parking where there is limited visibility
● Keeping high value items in the car and visible from the outside
● Keeping shopping bags visible in the car while out and about
Combat these factors
Never leave your keys in your vehicle or leave it running in your driveway, even when using a seemingly secure remote start. Windows should always be rolled up when the vehicle is unattended—which means that animals should remain at home and children never left inside the car. As you walk away, double check that your doors are locked. If you use your garage for general storage, start using it for housing your vehicle instead. Secure shopping bags or luggage in the trunk where they cannot be seen.
Additional steps
A vehicle alarm can be a good deterrent to crime, but tend to be ignored in some locations. You can use visible devices, such as a wheel lock, that will cause most thieves to move on rather than deal with the hassle. If you are willing to invest a little more money into protecting your vehicle, you can install an immobilizing system or a tracking system.
No matter what steps you take, make sure you know your license plate number, make, model, color and VIN number to easily file a police report. If your vehicle is stolen, speak with your insurance provider as soon as you are done speaking with the police.
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