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How You Can Lower Your Risk of Car Theft

Car theft and carjacking are serious crimes that result in serious issues for the average car owner. While there is always some risk of having your car stolen, here are some things you can do to lower your odds of being victimized by this heinous crime and therefore raise your odds of receiving insurance coverage should these methods fail.

1. Take Your Key With You

While it may be easy to accidentally forget your key in your car when you park it, or to leave it in the car so you don’t have to carry it back and forth with you, leaving your key in your car is essentially handing over your car to a criminal. If you keep your key on you, it will be much more difficult for anyone to move the car very far from where it is parked.

2. Lock Your Car Doors

Locking your car doors will make your car more difficult to steal as thieves will likely need to use a tool to break your window if they want to steal your car. They may decide to choose an easier (that is, unlocked) car to steal, as it is faster and they will not have to explain why they are driving with a broken window if the situation arises. Furthermore, they will not want to have to pay the cost of getting the window fixed.

3. Park Your Car in the Garage When Possible

You wouldn’t leave your expensive clothing, jewelry, or electronic devices lying outside your house — so why would your car be any different? Parking your car in a passcode-protected garage when you return home is an excellent way to protect it and put up a barrier against would-be thieves. Make sure the passcode to your garage is not easy to guess and look over your shoulder to ensure no one sees you input the passcode. Additionally, consider purchasing a remote control to keep inside your car that connects to your garage door.

4. Install Anti-Theft Measures in Your Car

It can be annoying to hear someone else’s car alarm go off in the parking lot, but alarms and other anti-theft tools are invaluable to the honest car owner. It is a good idea to purchase an alarm if your car does not already have one, as well as devices that immobilize the steering wheel unless authorized or GPS systems that track the location of your car. If you can, ensure these items are easily seen from outside of the car to let potential thieves know you don’t intend to be their victim.

Let one of our agents at American Insurance help you find an auto insurance plan that best meets your needs today!

 

Sources:

https://www.geico.com/information/safety/auto/preventing-auto-theft/

https://www.kidney.org/blog/kidney-cars/clever-tips-to-protect-your-car-theft