Ways to Keep Your Parked Car Safe
July is National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month, a timely reminder about an unpleasant fact that it could happen to any of us. The next time you wander a parking lot wondering where your car is, there will be a chance that you didn’t misplace it. Somebody may have stolen it.
According to the FBI’s most recent figures, in 2017, there were 773,139 thefts of motor vehicles. Approximately 75 percent of those thefts were automobiles, so some of those 25 percent were trucks and sport utility vehicles but also things like motor scooters and snowmobiles. Collectively, almost $6 billion in vehicles were stolen that year.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take that might help your car stay protected from auto thieves. So in the interest of keeping your car safe, consider trying some of these ideas.
Park safely. It is always best to look for well-lit areas to park your car at night. If you have a garage, park your car in there, instead of your driveway. If you’re parking your car on a street, hopefully you can choose one that’s well-lit. Even better is if it’s a crowded street rather than an empty, quiet one.
Don’t keep your car running while you run into the store. It sounds obvious, but it happens. Don’t let it happen to you. In fact, one car owner in Denver recently left his car running while he ran into a 7-Eleven to get a Slurpee. Although he was only inside the store for a few minutes, his car was gone when he returned. Items also gone from his car included a laptop, wallet and passport, which cost him a trip to India that he had been planning for months. One quick mistake proved quite costly for the car owner and made for an easy car theft for two people passing by the convenience store at that moment.
Get an auto alarm. If you’re really concerned for your car, you’d definitely improve the odds of your vehicle not being stolen by installing a security system. Alta Mere The Automotive Outfitters has a number of auto alarm systems that will protect your car – many of which that you can control from your smartphone – with features like ignition disable and glass breakage sensors. Another plus -- you may find that your insurance rates will be lowered as well.
Consider getting your windows tinted. Alta Mere’s custom window tinting services can help with the safety and privacy of your car. You certainly don’t want to do is leave expensive things, like your phone or a laptop, in your car in plain view of others. Even having smaller, less valuable items visible to others may arouse the curiosity of thieves. Window tinting will serve as a visual barrier for others looking to steal some items from your car. If they break you’re your car, they may steal the vehicle as well.
Don’t leave your car title in your glove compartment. Seems like an easy mistake, as many people leave their insurance and title together in a convenient location. However, some insurance companies will point out that if you do that, and a thief takes your car and speeds away and is stopped, that individual can claim ownership of the car by showing the title left there in the glove compartment.
Make sure you follow these simple, but important steps to keep your car safe and prevent you from being added to that staggering figure of vehicle thefts.