Vehicle theft is an increasingly fruitful business for those who make a living from it, who disassemble the vehicle to sell its parts or move it to other countries to sell it second-hand, taking advantage of a lucrative profit. Discovering that our vehicle has been stolen, regardless of whether we have insurance, is always an unpleasant and complicated experience, therefore it is convenient to take into account some preventive measures to deter thieves from seizing your car.
Steps to follow:
Better safe than sorry, a very wise saying that applies perfectly when it comes to avoiding theft. That is why the first thing that is important to keep in mind when preventing your car from being stolen is to have it adequately protected in order to deter thieves and show them that your vehicle is not an easy prey.
In addition to having anti- theft insurance, it is recommended that:
- Engrave the vehicle plate on the windows or glass of your car, this will make it a little safer, making it difficult to sell these vehicle parts on the black market.
- Have an active burglar alarm. Although these systems are usually quickly disconnected by theft professionals, depending on where your vehicle is parked, it can deter the thief and keep him away from his final goal.
- Consider using a mechanical anti-theft system inside the vehicle that can make it difficult to start and drive. Those used to immobilize the steering wheel or the pedals are useful to dissuade the thief, who knows that he will have to spend more time trying to steal this car than another that does not have any protection system.
- GPS theft protection systems are very effective, allowing the stolen vehicle to be located once it has been stolen. Depending on the system, some can emit signals to the owner when the car is moved from its current location so that the owner can alert the authorities.
The more protected your vehicle is, the less vulnerable it will be to theft.
But of course, despite all the anti-theft systems, cars are still stolen in big cities, so these are not the only measures to take into account to prevent your car from being stolen.
One of the most important aspects to consider is the place where we park the vehicle, especially at night. The ideal is to opt for car parks or private parking lots, much safer than public ones or parking on the street. This recommendation is especially important if you plan to leave your car for a long period of time, since a vehicle parked in the same place for several weeks is a major temptation for friends of others.
If you do leave it on the street, parking in a well-lit, crowded area will reduce the chances of your car being stolen. Alleys and secluded, dark, little-traveled streets are never a good idea.
To steal cars, you need to be a thief with certain skills, experience and technique. But to break the window of a vehicle and steal what is inside, it only takes being a thief. That is why it is very important that you never leave anything inside your car that could be a temptation for this type of person, avoid leaving the audio player, bags, clothing, boxes, backpacks, etc. Anything that could possibly be of value can cause them to try to break into your car, causing you a major problem.
It is also important to take measures to protect all the elements of your car and prevent petty theft or major damage if the car is taken. Therefore, among the measures to prevent your car from being stolen, we recommend:
- Never leave any spare car key or remote control in the vehicle, nor is it recommended to leave the vehicle documents as they will be necessary in the event that your car is stolen.
- Whenever you park your car, make sure it is properly locked before you leave, as a little carelessness could make it an easy prey.
- Secure each of the elements of your vehicle, for example in the case of spare tires that go outside, it is convenient to place a lock on them to prevent theft. If you have accessories like bike racks or luggage racks and you don’t use them often, it’s best to remove them from the vehicle to avoid temptation.
- If you go on a trip and your car will be parked for a long time, you can install a system to immobilize the wheels or disconnect the battery.
Finally, it is important to remember that although nothing is 100% effective in preventing your car from being stolen, by following these basic recommendations you can be much surer that your vehicle is not an easy prey. We also provide you with other preventive recommendations to avoid different types of theft, discover how to avoid robberies at home and how to avoid robberies on the street.
