The Best Ways to Prevent Car Theft - Vol.322
Having your vehicle stolen could be a devastating event, losing your mode of transportation and potentially losing the money invested in it. While insurance may help cover any loss or damage due to theft, it can become a hassle and requires police involvement. It is not a good idea to rely on insurance, and there are ways to help prevent and deter the theft of your vehicle. As vehicles gain more and more anti-measures, car thieves learn more and more tricks to circumvent attempts to prevent car theft. There are many steps you can take to ensure that your vehicle stays safe and reduce the chance that it can be stolen.
Theft Prevention Devices
Many modern vehicles are outfitted with an alarm system, and there is often a sticker on the window warning potential thieves of the alarm to deter crime. Whether or not your vehicle has an alarm system, you can purchase a window sticker that warns against theft. As technology advances, some cars now have the capacity to send a warning to your phone if the car alarm is activated which allows you to alert the authorities as soon as possible. Another modern piece of technology is tracking systems, which allow you to pinpoint the location of your vehicle via GPS. It is important that you share the information with the police first and do not attempt to retrieve your vehicle yourself as it can be dangerous to confront a carjacker yourself. These measures may be built into your vehicle, or can be added, but can be expensive.
There are other devices intended to deter auto theft, such as a steering wheel club which is intended to lock the steering wheel in place. While these serve as a visual deterrent they are fairly easy to break or be rendered useless. A much less obvious and difficult for a potential car thief to get around are kill switches that must be engaged prior to starting the vehicle. These come in a variety of forms, such as a button on the key fab or an actual switch hidden on the dashboard. Any combination of these devices and solutions will help to deter theft, as any potential carjacker is seeking out the path of least resistance when stealing a vehicle.
Other Steps to Reduce Chance of Car Theft
Beyond the devices and systems that can help prevent theft, there are numerous steps you can take to reduce the likelihood that your vehicle will be stolen. Ensure that any valuables are removed from your vehicle or placed out of sight in the trunk, glove box, or center console. If possible it is always best to remove valuable items entirely, to avoid any secondary losses from a vehicle being stolen. It is also important to park your vehicle in a safe and secure location, preferably somewhere that is well lit at night. Some vehicles allow for the removal of the steering wheel entirely, which can be helpful if parking the vehicle in one place for an extended period of time. While it may seem obvious it is always important to lock the doors to your vehicle, even if there are no items of value in it. Many modern vehicles now have the capacity for remote locking with a smart device and app, preventing a trip back to your car to ensure you locked it. Finally, driving a vehicle with a manual transmission can serve to deter a percentage of potential thieves that may not know how to drive a stick as they are becoming less common.