There are many ways in which you can keep your car safe from acts of crime and violence. Modern vehicle security systems are improving as the years go on, however, we cannot control the actions of others, and the car crime rate is continuously increasing. Nowadays, criminals tend to change their methods of breaking into cars, whether it be to steal belongings or to take the whole vehicle. Regardless of the new kinds of security systems placed in modern vehicles, criminals remain undeterred and instead, are becoming more creative.
If you have been a victim of car crime, have a look at the safety tips below to help you park smart and reduce the risk of these incidents occurring again.
Parking At Home
Garages are the safest place to park your car while you are at home, as your car is locked away safely, and out of sight. The second safest place is the driveway. However, this does not mean that your car is completely safe from criminals. To ensure that you are parking safely and protecting your car, you should:
- Drive forwards into your garage or driveway so that criminals will not be able to get away with your vehicle as quickly and easily.
- Park your vehicle as close to your home as possible – criminals will be deterred by the fact that you can see your car easily through your windows. Open parking spaces are also more likely to deter criminals.
Parking In Car Parks
Even though car parks are in open spaces, they will still attract opportunists who may be looking for a car to steal or break into. There are a few extra safety measures that you can do to make sure that you are not a victim of car crime:
- Park your car near other cars. Try to avoid isolating your vehicle, as thieves may be more confident stealing your car if it in a quiet area, away from other vehicles. In busy areas, it’s more likely that there will be witnesses around, which will put these petty individuals off from trying to steal your car. Always go for parking zones that are more popular as people will be in and out of them more regularly.
- Turn your wheels towards other surrounding vehicles, or you can turn them towards the curb. Doing this can put criminals off, as the getaway won’t be as quick and easy.
Parking On The Street
Parked cars on the road are often easy targets. This is because they are far enough away from any residential areas or houses, and this makes it easier for them to carry out a quick getaway with your car and everything inside it! You can, however, prevent yourself from being a victim of car theft by following these few tips:
- Consider street parking under street lamps to keep your car well-lit if you are parking your car in the evening time or in the middle of the night. If you are parking during the day and you won’t be back to your car until it is dark, look for a street light. Criminals are most likely not to linger in areas that are well lit up and exposed to light because they do not want to be seen by others or have any witnesses that could potentially identify and link them to the crime.
- Try to park where there is a window facing your vehicle. Criminals will be more hesitant to approach your vehicle when there could be someone watching through the window, even though there may not be someone keeping an eye out specifically.
Hide Or Remove Valuables From Your Car
Another great way you can avoid being a victim of car crime is keeping all your valuables out of sight. This may seem like common sense, but if all your belongings are out of view, there will be fewer reasons for thieves to break into your car. This does not just mean money, jewellery, or shopping. You should never leave empty bags or coats that could potentially lead to thieves thinking there may be something valuable in these items, as they will try their luck and take off with the goods.
Therefore, keeping obvious valuables out of view, such as SatNavs, wallets, money or mobile phones will put off criminals from breaking into your car – if there is nothing to steal from your vehicle then they will move on.
As drivers, we tend to forget to keep paperwork out of view – if you have anything with your name, address and date of birth on it, then you could potentially become a victim of identity theft. Which is why you should try and make the inside of your vehicle look as empty as possible, to avoid inticing thieves.
Unfortunately, in the world we live in there will always be those individuals that think that they have a right to our hard-earned possessions. All we can do is follow simple guides and tips, and keep our vehicles safe from theft. This means we should keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviour and help others out as well. So, if you hear a car alarm that keeps going off or one that has started to go off, it is always worth checking it out, as someone could be potentially breaking into a car or they may have done so already. If it is not your vehicle, then the owner would appreciate a witness or a call to the authorities just as we would.
It is a good idea to mention here that you should make sure that your insurance policy can cover you if the worst should happen, but it can be agreed that prevention is much better than cure.