Protecting Your Car From Theft

A car is stolen (or broken into) every 19 seconds in the United States. That's almost 2 million cars a year and cost up to $8 billion to Americans every year in replacement and insurance costs. It can sometimes take an auto thief less than 7 seconds to break into a car and drive away, and do not be fooled into believing that they will not go for an old car. Some of these robbers go for car parts/accessories and these are sometimes worth three times more than the entire car itself. Here are a few precautionary measures you can take to avoid having your car broken into or stolen:




Don't leave keys in the car. Believe it or not, in 20 percent of stolen cars cases, the owners left the keys in the ignition.


Park in a well-lighted area; stay away from secluded areas.


Keep packages and valuables out of sight; put them in the trunk.


When parking, turn the front wheels sharply to the left or right and set the hand brake so the car will be hard to tow.


When parking in a driveway, face the car toward the street. A thief will have to tinker with the car in full view of anyone who passes by.


Do not walk away from your car and leave the motor running - even if an errand requires less than a minute.


When you walk away from your parked car, be sure the car is locked, the windows are closed, and you have the key in your pocket.


Don't keep your license, registration card, or car title in your car unless state law requires you to do so. If thieves get these documents they can use them to sell your car or impersonate you.


If you have a security system, don't display a decal that tells a thief exactly what kind of system you have installed. A generic sticker that says, "This car is equipped with a security system' is okay.


Avoid leaving spare keys in "secret" spots in or on the car; thieves know where to look.


Keep the car locked while in the garage.


Don't leave the garage-door opener in the car. If your car is stolen, you have given the thief access to your home.


When parking in an attended parking lot, give the attendant your ignition key only; make sure the key you leave has no key identification number on it.

KiyaSama is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers

By Kiya Sama