Keep Your Vehicle Protected from Theft with These 7 Tips
Having your vehicle or items within it stolen can be a great disruption to your life that would result in you having to file insurance claims, replace broken windows, file police reports, and possibly even having to replace the vehicle and the contents in it. Following are some tips that will help prevent your vehicle from being targeted for theft. These methods are not fail proof, but your vehicle is one of your most expensive properties, so it’s better safe than sorry.
1. Use common sense
Mostly the vehicles that get stolen are the ones that have keys left in the ignition, don’t have their doors locked, or windows fully closed. If you want to keep your vehicle protected from theft, then these are a few common sense mistakes you must avoid.
2. Keep your valuables hidden
Keeping valuables in plain view in your vehicle drastically increases the chances of it being stolen and even if the criminal doesn’t steal your entire vehicle, you could lose a lot. When a criminal sees valuables such as wallets, phones, sports equipment, etc. in a car, their desirability of theft increases and he/she is likely to smash your car’s windows to gain access and steal it. That’s why it is recommended that you keep all your valuables hidden when you park your vehicle.
3. Park in a well-lit area
It has been proven that vehicles parked in well-lit areas have a lower probability of being stolen. And even if the vehicle gets stolen from such area, there could be people around that would become valuable witnesses and help you when filing a police report.
4. Never hide a second set of car keys in the vehicle
This is also a common mistake many car owners make. When a thief enters your vehicle they generally do a detailed search for valuables and if you have hidden a second set of car keys in your vehicle, it will eventually be found which will make the job of the thief easier.
5. Replace T-shaped door locks with straight locks
The T-shaped locks will help car thieves steal your vehicle quickly as they are vulnerable to a variety of tools they use. That’s why it is recommended that you replace them with straight locks to decrease the chances of your vehicle being stolen.
6. Install a 2-way car alarm system
A 2-way car alarm system is very useful when it comes to preventing a car theft because it will alert your phone if someone breaks into your car. That will give you a chance to instantly call the police. Furthermore, you can also prevent car theft by installing a starter disabler.
7. Use emergency brake when you park
Not all car thieves steal cars by driving; some do it by actually towing them away. You can prevent this if you use the emergency brake and turn your wheels to the side when you park. This will make it extremely difficult for thieves to tow your car away.
Having your vehicle stolen can be a huge nuisance. Hopefully the above mentioned tips will help you keep your vehicle protected and safe.
Dib’s Safe & Lock Service in San Bernardino is a locally-owned, family run business with over 90 years experience proudly offering lock, safe, and key, services to residential and business customers in San Bernardino County, Riverside, and the surrounding areas in Inland Empire. If you have questions changing door locks, or lock and key service of any type, give Dib’s a call today at (909) 885-0452.
