It is something none of us like to think about; our car being stolen. A lot of the time, even if we get our cars back, we no longer want to drive them. It is as if we have been personally violated. Thieves are opportunists. They usually only go for cars that look easy to break into, so below are a few tips on what you can do to avoid your car being stolen.

1. Park in a public area whenever possible. You want as many witnesses as possible. This makes it a lot harder for thieves to even have a chance of stealing your car. At night, make sure you park in a well-lit area. Chances are, someone would see someone trying to steal your car so thieves will be less likely to attempt it. If you have a garage use it. The thief would have to break into your house, not just your car, which makes their task a lot more difficult so they are likely to avoid it.
2. Keep the windows closed and the car locked, even when parked outside your house or in your garage. You would be surprised at how many cars are stolen because the doors were left unlocked and the keys in the ignition!
3. Hide all valuables hidden when in your car. Preferably, you should not leave any valuables in the car. They make it more appealing to thieves to steal the car, or simply break into it for the valuables. Ideally, you should buy a removable stereo that you can lock away or take with you.
4. Consider using a visible mechanical locking device to lock the steering wheel. The less effort needed to steal the car, the more likely it will be stolen. Try and put as many obstacles in the thieves way as possible. Also consider having an alarm system installed. This will not only deter thieves, but it will also bring your insurance down!
5. Going back to when you purchase a car, try looking up the popularity the make and model has of being stolen. Some cars have a higher incidence of theft than others simply because they are more appealing.
6. Don’t leave the documents for your car in the vehicle. These will only assist thieves once they have stolen the car. You don’t want to give them any help along the way!
7. If you are leaving your car for a long time, such as going on holiday, disconnect the battery or coil wire from the distributor cap. That way the car won’t start if a thief successfully breaks into it. They are not likely to hang around trying to figure out why the car’s not starting.
8. Have the vehicle identification number (VIN) etched onto the doors, bumpers, and windows of your car with an electric engraver. Also consider etching it somewhere inconspicuous on anything that could be sold separately, such as wheels and stereo equipment. This helps to discourage professional thieves as these markings would have to be removed before selling the car as they identify it as belonging to you. Make sure you keep a record of the VIN for yourself to give to police if your car is ever stolen and tell them where it is marked on the car. Be careful when etching the VIN on the windows of older Hondas because this actually makes it easier for thieves to steal the car.
9. Make sure your hand brake is on when you leave the car and park with your wheels turned towards the curb. This makes it more difficult for thieves to tow your car.

10.  Consider subscribing to a service like On-Star or BMW Assist if your manufacturer offers one as these services often have Stolen Vehicle Location and can remotely track and locate your vehicle. The manufacturer can then work with police to locate and recovery your vehicle quickly. You can also purchase 3^rd Party GPS or GPS/Cellular based tracking systems. These are effectively the same thing but can be bought by anyone. They come with a monthly fee, but it’s worth it if your car gets stolen! Some even allow you to track your car personally from your computer.

Remember, the most important thing for you to do if your car gets stolen is to report it to the police as soon as possible. Do not give the thief any more time to get your car sold on than necessary! We all hope it will never happen, but at least if we prepare for it then we can say we did all we could to prevent the theft.

Popularity: 1% [?]