Yeah, you love your car, and you can't imagine your life without it. It’s your baby! But what have you done to protect it from all the bad guys who might be after it? It turns out even simple little things, like stickers, window etching, or taking the manual out of it, can help!
1. Don't attract thieves In many cases,
it's not the car the thieves are after. It's that shiny new laptop you dropped at the front seat (because you're only out for a minute, right?). Or maybe your designer purse that looks like it's stuffed full of valuables. Things like that are hard to resist and often lead to a break-in. So take an extra moment to hide your belongings in the trunk, and your vehicle will be less tempting for criminals.
2. If you like it, then you should have put a sticker on it
One thing car thieves don't want is getting caught. Another thing they aren't big fans of is the arear window sticker that informs there is an alarm or tracking system installed. They know it might not be accurate, but chances are they won't want to check it.
3. Mark it
you don't have to put a leopard print on your vehicle, but you can get its ID number engraved on each of the windows and light covers. Replacing the glasses to sell the car will cost them extra money, and thieves aren't enthusiastic about it. You can also play spy and leave marks on different parts of the vehicle with an invisible pen or cover it in microdots with your ID details. This won't stop thieves but will make it easier to track the vehicle if it gets stolen.
4. Don’t leave the engine running.
It only takes a moment for a car to be stolen. It could be that very moment you left it to grab a coffee at a gas station. Or that time, you started the engine on a cold winter morning and went back inside to read your morning paper in the warmth of your house. Hey, my car was here just a minute ago…. Speaking of your home…
5. There is no such thing as totally safe
Remember, there is no such thing as totally safe Even if you live in a calm neighborhood with respectable adults around, bad guys can get in there unless there are guards at the entrance to the block. So when you park by your front door after a hard day at work, you still have to lock your vehicle. Double-check if you did. Thieves cruise neighborhoods at night in search of unlocked cars. You don't want them to be lucky.
6. Keep those windows closed, too.
If they can stick one finger inside, criminals will rock their way in to go further and get the door unlocked from the inside. So make it a ritual before your leave to check if your windows are closed, too, not just doors.
7. Always keep an “eye” on your keys.
(No, not literally – that would be creepy. [eyeball hang on the keychain])Are you hiding them somewhere under your car not to get locked out someday? Criminals know about this little trick just like they know about your house keys under the doormat. Uh-huh. A handbag on a coffee shop chair, the stairs, or a little table by the front door of your home aren't the perfect place for your keys either.
8. Park in the right places
Don’t leave your four-wheeled friend in a dark neighborhood with a bad reputation and no security cameras. Aim for a well-lit area and try to get as close to business entrances as you can. Those places always have security cams. A parking garage is not the worst option, but if it’s isolated, you’re putting yourself at risk. Again, try to stay close to a security cam to discourage those bad guys.
9. Watch how you park it
When you park your car, always use the emergency brake and lock the steering wheel. Make sure there is some obstacle, like a wall or curb in front of the vehicle. It will give thieves a much harder time trying to tow away your property. This is especially powerful on an incline. Do you park your car this way? Let me know in the comment section below.
10. Be careful with public parking lots
It comes in handy to leave your vehicle as you go shopping, watch a game of sports or fly away (with or without a plane), but public parking lots are all thieves' favorite. Because they are open to the general public, anyone can wander around picking the car they like and checking if it has any security measures. So be extra careful when you park there and try to find a spot closest to the building entrance and under a security cam.
11. Don't try to hide your car over
So you've found a perfectly dark, isolated spot for your ride in the parking garage of your apartment complex, thinking it's safe because no one will find it. Well, thieves will! And they're going to love it. Isolation means less attention to them, as well. And since they're smart and usually get in there at night, chances are no one will interrupt them at all. And if someone does walk in there, they'll hear it and have enough time to disappear.
12. Don’t ignore extra physical precautions
A lot of insurance companies offer good deals to car owners that care to install physical anti-theft devices. They know bad guys will think twice and most likely decide not to try breaking into a well-protected vehicle. There are all sorts of locks: a steering wheel lock, also known as the club, tire lock (often used by the police on improperly parked vehicles), and hood locks. A baby monitor with night vision and audio can also scare away criminals. And if not, you'll have perfect proof they were there. Car alarm also works as an excellent thief deterrent with its loud sound.
13. Don’t leave your vehicle registration inside
Going your vehicle registration in the car is like giving carte blanche to criminals. They can easily present it to police officers when stopped. And your insurance information and VIN can help them get new keys made to unlock the car with no problem. If you aren’t the only person using the car, find some secret place to hide the registration and only tell your closest buds about it.
14. Your car manual doesn’t belong there either
It’s not the instructions on how to work that machine the thieves are after. It’s the secret valet key you might not even know about. You can generally find it in the back of the manual or pop it out of a plastic insert. And you can unlock the driver’s door and even start the vehicle with it!
15. Take extra care if you have an older car.
Thieves do love luxury sports cars, but they will often aim for an older ride just because it's way easier to steal. More than 20 years ago, cars manufactured had an ignition system that's easy to crack if you know how to do it. So if you're a vintage fan, add some physical protection to your favorite set of wheels.
16. There is no such thing as
«unwanted» car Thieves steal cars of different makes and even colors for different jobs. An anonymous-looking white van, for example, is perfect for transporting stolen things. Some vehicles are stolen for older hard-to-find details, others – for their super-powerful engines.
17. Spice up your life
If your ride is particularly desirable to thieves and hard to get, they can start spying on you to figure out the best time to get it. So if you start your engine every day at 8, then stop at the same coffee shop and drive away to your office on the same route, you might be helping them plan a crime. They could plot an attack when they find the weakest link of this logical sequence. So shuffle things up a bit.
18. Install a tracking System If your
car isn't equipped with it; get it a GPS tracker. It might not prevent the worst from happening, but it will be super helpful at locating your ride if it gets stolen. Or there’s my personal favorite. You can forget about all 18 of these ideas if you take public transit. No worries. Okay, that’s too simple. Alternatively, you can choose to drive a well-maintained pre-owned car that looks like junk from the outside.
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