Car Theft On The Rise

Car theft is on the rise all over the United States. Good chances are that you have personal items in your car right now that are worth a significant amount of money. Moreover, good chances are that some of those items such as a purse or iPhone are sitting in the open with no covering whatsoever. If this just reminded you that you left such items in your vehicle, retrieve them now and then continue reading. 

 

Park In Well-Lit Areas

 

Trying to find a good parking spot any time of the day and night can be quite the challenge. You have to choose between convenience and door dings or inconvenience and no door dings. Regardless if you park in the very front or the very back of the parking lot, make sure to choose a well-lit area.

 

Aside from your own personal safety in a dark parking lot, extra light will help deter car burglars from targeting your car in fear of being exposed. Another great thing about parking in a well-lit area of the parking lot is that if the building has security cameras, your vehicle has a better chance of being included on the surveillance cameras in case there was ever a break-in.

 

Put Expensive Items In The Trunk

 

The ideal situation would be to immediately take any expensive or larger purchases home to a safe area instead of leaving them in your car. However, if you are in the middle of a shopping spree or on lunch break, it’s not exactly ideal to run home.

 

Instead of leaving your shopping bags out in the open in your backseat or front seat, put them in the trunk. One good thing about your trunk is that people cannot see inside. If they really wanted to, they could figure out a way to pick the lock. However, what they can’t see can’t tempt them to break in. So instead of leaving your belongings in your car as a “sitting duck”, conceal them if possible.

 

Install A Security System

 

No, you don’t have to have a brand new car, truck, or SUV to have a top of the line security system in your vehicle. In fact, in the last decade, there have been major upgrades and improvements in car security systems that are installed on older model vehicles.

 

Most car burglars don’t assume that an older model vehicle could be armed with a security system. However, if you do have a security system installed, you can bet that when the thief tries pull on your door handle, they will take off running as soon as the alarm sounds. If you aren’t there to hear or see the act go down, chances are that someone else in the vicinity of your vehicle did. This is great for reporting damages and for filing a police report in the event damage was done.

 

Lock Your Doors & Keep Up With Your Keys

 

It goes without saying, but make sure that you actually lock your doors after you step out of the vehicle. It’s easy to forget when you’re in a hurry. It’s also very easy to see when a car door is unlocked, especially if your windows aren’t tinted. So making sure that your doors lock when you hit your key fob is essential.

 

It’s always a good rule of thumb to keep a close eye on your keys. For women, this may be easier because the multitude of compartments in a purse. For men, it’s a good idea to keep your keys in one spot in your jacket or pants that you won’t be taking things in and out of frequently. The last thing you want to do is drop them in the store or in the parking lot and have someone else pick them up.

 

Don’t Leave Your Car Running

 

A running car that’s left unattended is a car thief’s dream come true! If the car is running, then it means that the keys required to operate the vehicle are either in the car or in the ignition depending on the year, make, and model of the vehicle.

 

All that the thief has to do is get through a door or window and off they can go with your vehicle and all of your belongings in the backseat. Next time you need to run in somewhere “really quick”, take your keys with you and make sure they are in a safe place.

 

No one wants to think about theft any time of year, but unfortunately we have to. It’s always better to be safe than sorry and proactive instead of reactive. So make sure to use these easy safety tips to help keep your car and your belongings safe this year. If you have any questions about car security systems or how you can have one installed, give us a call! We can help!