THREE STUPID THINGS THAT DRIVERS DON’T DO TO PROTECT THEIR VEHICLES
Did you know that most car thefts are caused by carelessness, rather than the skill of the thief?
Some images of car thefts involve daring robbers who carefully pick the locks and hotwire the ignition before driving off with their prize. The reality, though, is that car thieves are going to target the easy ones. They are going to look for the people who leave their keys in plain sight or those who leave a window open. Most car thefts are caused by carelessness, rather than the skill of the thief, so take a look at these three stupid things that drivers don’t do to protect their personal property and learn from them. It could just save a mountain of hassle further down the line!
The Keys
The keys are the main way to steal a car. Contrary to popular belief, over 90% of car thieves have no idea how to hotwire a car or to perform anything technical. Most of them are just normal people who prey on the carelessness of others. Don’t invite a thief by leaving the keys in the ignition or on the seat of the car.
Also, remember that cars are often stolen after a breaking into a house. If the keys are sitting on the table or in a bowl in the hallway by the door then expect the car to be stolen. Keep them upstairs and out of sight at all times. It’s more hassle, but an even bigger hassle is not being able to get to work the next day.
Identification and Recovery
Sometimes there’s no defense against having a car stolen. But smart drivers will have a sure-fire way of identifying and recovering the car. The first thing that they will do is make sure that they don’t keep any of their car’s documentation actually in the car. How can the police know about the car’s registration number if the document is still in the glove compartment?
What novice drivers won’t do is paint their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the inside of their hood or engine. As long as this number is known then the police know exactly what they are looking for. The VIN is directly on the dashboard in front of the driver, so there are no excuses for not knowing what it is.
Temptation
Thieves don’t say to themselves one morning: “Right, before lunch I’m going to steal a car.” What they will do is do it on an impulse. Once they see a car that looks to be unsecured they are going to try it. They might walk around on the off-chance that they find something, but a thief is not keeping to a regular schedule.
Don’t be the driver that decides to leave a cell phone or another valuable item on the seat of the car. A window can be broken in a matter of seconds. The thief will most likely know what they’re doing and can disappear in a flash. Put all valuables in the trunk of the car or take them out when the car is unattended. Just make sure that the items are transferred to a hidden part of the car in a secluded area, just in case somebody is watching.
