Every year, thousands of cars are stolen. You need to be vigilant to ensure your car is not in the statistics. Below are measures you can take to prevent automobile theft.
1. Lock Your Doors
Notably, car thieves always look for cars they can easily access. Leaving your car unlocked makes it susceptible to theft. It’s because the thief does not have to waste plenty of time breaking the windows or locks. Moreover, the thieves will not draw any attention because it’s easy to check whether the doors are locked.
You should also lock the doors even when your car is parked in the garage. This is especially when you leave your garage open. Even though it might not seem necessary, preventing automobile theft is essential.
2. Don’t Leave Your Car Running if Unattended
There are many instances you might be tempted to leave your car running. You could want the battery to warm up during the cold season or quickly pick up something you forgot in the house or office.
While leaving the engine running may be convenient, it’s risky. First, thieves will see your car as an easy target. Thieves can steal your car even when your engine is not running. However, with an unattended vehicle, they can quickly hop in and drive off.
3. Park in Secure Locations
To prevent automobile theft, you have to be careful where you park your car. Thieves will always look for vehicles that are in a deserted area. It’s ideal for them as they can’t be noticed while committing the crime. Hence, before parking your car, check whether the site has security cameras or guards and is well lit. In addition, ensure that the parking area is busy.
Moreover, if you don’t have a garage and need to park in the streets, you also need to take the necessary measures. First, ensure to park under streetlights. It will discourage thieves from targeting your car as they can be easily noticed.
4. Utilize a GPS-Based Vehicle Protection Service
Installing a car alarm is an effective way to prevent automobiles. However, it’s essential to know those car thieves have the skills to disable the alarm. It would help if you also considered installing a GPS tracking device for the best protection.
It’s difficult for thieves to locate where the device is hidden. With a GPS tracker, it is easy to recover your car even when it’s stolen. The authorities will use data in the system to locate the thief.
5. Install Outdoor Security Cameras
As stated above, car thieves don’t like drawing attention. Additionally, they avoid being in footage that will link them to the crime. Thus, it’s vital that you install security cameras in your home.
A benefit of the outdoor cameras is they provide a visual deterrent. It discourages criminals from performing the crimes. In case of theft, law enforcement will use the footage to identify the culprits.
For outdoor security cameras to be effective, ensure they are high resolution to capture clear pictures. Also, ensure that the cameras are suitable for night vision. The feature is to increase security.
6. Hide Your Valuables
Notably, most break-ins occur because car thieves can see valuables. Purses, bags, and laptops are things that can attract thieves. Thus, you mustn’t leave any in your car. However, if you need to carry valuables, ensure to cover them well or hide them in a safe space.
7. Keep Your Spare Keys
Car thieves always know where to look for spare keys. Thus, don’t attach them to the underside of your car. To ensure your spare key is safe, you can give it to a family member or keep it in your office or home. Ensure not to place your spare key in plain view. Thus, if there is a burglary in your home, thieves cannot access it.
8. Install an Immobilizer
Notably, many new cars come with immobilizer systems. However, if your vehicle does not have one, you can have it installed by your mechanic. An immobilizer system is ideal as thieves cannot waste their time code-cracking. Moreover, it’s unlikely they’ll know the location of the immobilizer switch.
Automobile theft happens every day, however, it doesn’t have to be your car. Technological advancement and critical thinking make it easy to prevent car theft.
