How You Can Lower The Risk of Car Theft
How You Can Lower The Risk of Car Theft
You can lessen the chance of theft by making sure your car is not an easy target. Thieves are always on the lookout for easy targets.
How?
By heeding these important car safety tips
- Always close all windows including the sunroof, lock your car, and remember to take your keys every time you park.
- Park your car in a locked garage whenever possible, or in the driveway. Park in the street, ideally in a well-lit, well-traveled area, only as a last resort.
- Keep the spare key someplace other than your car. It doesn’t do much good there anyway, plus experienced thieves will find it.
- Keep valuables and other items out of sight, preferably in the trunk, to reduce temptation.
- If you have car alarms and/or locks for your steering wheel, use them all the time.
- When parking, set the brake and turn your wheels into or away from the curb.
- Your vehicle’s registration and proof of insurance (plus other documents containing personal information) should be taken with you rather than left in your car. Those documents contain personal information that, if in the wrong hands, could further endanger your safety. Make copies of important auto-related documents to give to others drivers included on your policy.
- Never keep the vehicle’s pink slip in the car. It should be kept together with your other important documents in a file cabinet, safe, or safety deposit box.
- Never leave a running car unintended, even for a few seconds.
- Cars with manual transmission should be left in reverse or in first gear when and those with automatic transmissions should be left with the parking gear set.
If your car is stolen
In the event the unfortunate happens and your car is stolen, report it ASAP. Provide as much identifying information as possible including the obvious make, model, year, and plate number, and the not so obvious VIN, tire brand and serial number, bumper stickers, dents, sunroof and whatever else you can think of that’s unique to your car.