Almost every one of us have been a victim, or know a victim of vehicular break-ins. It is fair to say that they can happen at anytime and anywhere. These immoral crooks will either smash their way into the vehicle to make a grab for the goodies they can spot through the windows, or take off with the car in attempt to sale it as a whole or in pieces. The car doesn’t even have to be an expensive new model like you’d find in a car magazine - in fact, it’s more likely to be a less-well-protected older car! Pay attention to the following tricks and advice, and lower your probability of becoming another victim.
The first step you may have in mind is probably a car alarm. But know that by this day and age, an activated alarm poses no physical barrier to anyone who is already plundering his way into your vehicle. All that matters is the psychological impediment an activated alarm may hold towards a less experienced thief. A sticker displaying the logo of a famous car alarm company can produce this effect.
The time a victim takes to get inside a vehicle is a golden opportunity among muggers and carjackers. Pay attention to your surroundings as you approach your car, and make sure to have your key ready so you may enter the vehicle in the shortest span of time. Lock the doors the moment you get into the seat, since a seated driver is extremely vulnerable to a hijack attempt.
Don’t leave you car with expensive objects lying around inside, as they serve as mere attractions for people looking for a vehicle to break into. Lock them up in your trunk if you got one, or at least hide the small items under the seats.
A steering wheel lock is an eyesore for car thieves. It turns out when it comes to ranking the challenges car thieves come across in their routines, disarming one of these bar clamps surpasses the processes of breaking in or hot-wiring your car. Make sure to purchase one with high quality and install it whenever you have to leave your car unattended for a long period.
Tow trucks have become the latest tool of trade for the most sophisticated car-takers, as it is highly unlikely that passerby will find them suspicious as they forcibly remove your vehicle in plain sight. To make their job difficult, turn your front wheels sideways as you finish parking your car.
Finally, always abide to a simple common sense: there is absolutely no reason for you leave the key in the ignition. Even if you just want to pop in for a quick ATM withdrawal, or just grab a pack of cigarettes, you are providing more than enough time for the an opportunist to jump in the driver’s seat and make off with your wheels. There’s no need to make their lives any easier! Otherwise, you’ll end up the result of a stolen car check and will become yet another statistic.
We definitely do not want to reward criminal’s hard work. When you have your eyes set on a used car, check online for the car history of the vehicle to ensure that it is not a stolen car.