|
|
Don't Let Car Thieves Get Your Car When Driving On Your Holiday
In these difficult financial times most folks need vacations more than ever. And people also want to save a lot of money if they can. One economical solution is to take the family car and drive to and from your holiday destination instead of flying.
If you plan to drive, it may also make sense to take some steps to protect yourself and family from car theft. Having some car thief steal your car, luggage, or other items of value from your trunk could really put a damper on what was supposed to be a fun-filled and enjoyable trip.
Even if you take all of the numerous precautions to prevent auto theft when you travel, very determined professional car thieves can still manage to steal any vehicle if they want it badly enough. Can you remember the car theft action movie Gone In 60 Seconds starring Nicolas Cage? However, you can still dramatically reduce the odds of becoming a victim of auto theft to almost zero.
Many of these auto theft preventative measures are common sense and cost nothing to do. So it might make sense to implement them not only when you travel by car on your holidays, but also in your every day driving.
Firstly, you should never take it for granted that you are immune from car thieves when traveling, or that your vehicle is not really worth stealing.
Keep in mind that thieves might be after more than your vehicle, luggage, or any valuables that might be inside your vehicle. They might only want an older car to take a joy ride in or for its parts.
They may also be after your vehicle documents for identity theft purposes, or they could be thinking of robbing your residence while you are away on vacation. Where would they get this important information? From the vehicle registration and auto insurance papers which are usually conveniently located in the glove compartment.
The best solution is to eliminate this possibly by keeping these documents on your person at all times when traveling on holidays.
The second best way is to reduce the problem by hiding these documents really well in the trunk. Some police forces in high auto theft crime areas of cities recommend this. Dont forget to tell everyone who is traveling with you where these documents are located in the trunk.
Here are some more ways you can lessen the chance of having your holidays ruined by car thieves. If you can manage to implement a number of these suggestions, you can dramatically lessen the odds of becoming another victim of auto theft when you travel.
Close all of your vehicles windows tightly and lock all the doors when you park it anywhere, even if its only for a minute or two.
A real invitation to lose your vehicle is to leave it idling and unattended. You should never, never do it. Not even for even a minute.
Similarly, do not leave your vehicles keys in the ignition or hidden anywhere in car, including a second set of keys. Car thieves can easily find the keys hidden in the usual places very quickly. Keep another set of keys with you.
Do not leave any thing of value in your vehicle, even if they cant be seen from the outside of your car. If you can, take them with you.
However, if you must leave valuables in your vehicle, make sure that they are locked up inside your trunk. When you do this, look around to make sure that no one is watching what you do, or better still stop, pull over, and put them in your trunk before you arrive at the place youre going. Prying eyes could be anywhere.
When parking your vehicle in public areas, turn you front wheels either to the left or right before turning your ignition off. This will engage the steering wheel locking mechanism in the steering column which can make your car a little more difficult to steal.
By engaging the emergency brake after you have parked and turned the motor off, you may also make your vehicle harder to tow away.
For front wheel and rear wheel drive vehicles you should park them somewhat differently when in an underground garage. Front wheel drive autos should be parked nose in and the rear wheel drives, nose out. Then just turn your tires to the left or right. Again, this may make your car harder to tow.
It is always better to park in an attendant supervised parking lot rather than an unattended one. If its a place or lot where there is valet parking, just give the attendant your door and ignition key. They do not need any other keys on your key chain.
In public places at dusk and at night, always park in a well lighted area that has a lot of pedestrian traffic. Keep in mind that most auto thieves prefer to work under the cover of darkness.
Try to avoid parking near or next to any obstruction, such as a fence, hedge, large truck, or anything that blocks a clear view of your vehicle to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
When youre staying in a place that has secured, gated parking, be certain that the gate has completely closed after entering or leaving so that a thief does not sneak in to the parking area where you are staying.
If you observe any suspicious activity like a person or group of people milling around or near your vehicle you should call the police.
Here are a number of anti-theft devices that can be installed for maximum protection. You might have a few of these products already installed in your vehicle.
You should use a highly visible after-market steering wheel lock bar. Most car thieves will likely move on to easier prey. Other less visible after-market anti-theft products are gas pedal locks, brake pedal locks, and armored collars that fit around the steering column which protects the ignition. And for the manual shift vehicles you can also use an after-market shifter lock. These products are all effective but not as highly visible to prying eyes.
Another thing that you can do is have your mechanic install a hood lock that will prevent easy access to your vehicles battery including the security system.
A loud vehicle alarm system with a very visible alarm sticker on your windshield could be worth its weight in gold particularly when combined with a number of these other anti-theft security options.
The best vehicle protection is a passive electronic immobilizer that disables the motor when the ignition is turned off. Its not an inexpensive device to get installed but is well worth it for your peace of mind. There are more benefits you may receive by installing an electronic immobilizer in your car. A number of auto insurance companies will offer a discount on your policy if you can produce documentation that you have had one installed. You may also get more money for your vehicle if you sell it down the road.
Last, but not least, you should make sure you have enough insurance coverage on your vehicle including theft and damage before you travel on vacation.
|
 |
Please Rate: |
|
Rating: |
 Processing ... |
(Average: Not rated) |
| Views: | 18 | |
|
| More Articles from Holidays | | |
| Top Articles in Holidays | | |
|
