Introduction
In large cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, and many other urban areas, people buy a car without planning a dedicated safe parking space. Consequently, the biggest question after buying a car is where to park it!
The availability of attractive vehicle loans has made owning a car simple and affordable for the salaried class. But the lack of safe parking spaces brings our topic, ‘How to save your car from theft,’ into prominence.
Many car owners do not have a parking space inside their residential premises. Therefore, they are forced to park their car on the street. The result is the attraction of car thieves to it.
It is impossible to eliminate the chances of theft by 100 percent. However, you should take due precautions to dissuade the thieves from coming after the car. Your effort should be to make the car the toughest to steal and keep the thieves away from it.
This article discusses various measures and tips to save your car from theft.
How to save your car from theft
The following preventive measures can reduce the risk of car theft for you. The list is not in a preferential order. You can select one or more according to your personal preference and choice. However, Comprehensive vehicle Insurance is a must.
These tips will help you to save your car from theft.
- Select a proper place to park
- Remember to lock the car doors
- Remember to close the windows
- Gear and steering locks
- Never leave the keys in the vehicle
- Keep your second key in a safe place
- Know your car’s VIN
- Display your car’s VIN
- Install a dashcam
- Install an anti-theft audible alarm system
- GPS trackers
- Never leave valuables in the car
- Security of garage
- Vehicle insurance
- Theft of car parts
- Preventive measures while driving
All these preventive measures will be discussed in detail.
Select a proper place to park
The best place to park your car is inside the residential premises. However, many car owners lack this facility and are forced to park their cars on the street. Please ensure the following when parking on the street:
- Select a place well-lit by street lights. This will make the car visible to other residents and passersby and may deter the thief.
- Select a place that is covered by CCTV cameras.
- Avoid parking in dark and low-visibility areas.
Remember to lock the car doors.
- Never leave your parked car without ensuring the doors are locked correctly.
- Whether you have locked manually or electronically, ensure by manual check.
- Check the dickey door also.
Remember to close the windows.
- Open windows allow the thief to enter the car and make his job easy.
- Check all the windows are securely closed before leaving the parked car.
- It is a good habit for car occupants to close their windows securely before getting out.
- If your car has a sunroof or a roof window, ensure it is locked.
Gear and steering locks
There are many affordable gadgets in the market that lock the steering, gear shift lever, and brake/accelerator pedal of a parked car.
Of course, the car thief may open these locks also. But most thieves may get deterred from theft after seeing these gadgets. Because they want to do a quick job and do not want many hurdles.
Select a good gadget after discussing it with your trusted car mechanic. You can get many choices on Amazon and other online platforms.
You may watch this YouTube video (in Hindi)
Never leave the keys in the vehicle.
- Due to hurry and forgetfulness, you may lock the car leaving the keys in it. This is an invitation for the car thief and you should never do it.
- The thief can simply break the window and drive your car off.
- Add this point to your checklist of ‘dos and don’ts’ of parking the car.
Keep your second key in a safe place.
Never leave the second key in the car. You may think it will help you if you are locked out in the car. But intelligent thieves know exactly the places you choose to hide the second key.
Keep the spare key in your purse or bag. Never share this secret with outsiders, including the maids and servants in your house.
Know your car’s VIN
Vehicle Identification Number or VIN in short, is a unique 17-digit alphanumerical number given to each vehicle by the manufacturers. It can be compared to our thumbprint.
The VIN and chassis number of a car is recorded in the vehicle insurance policy.
When you report a car theft, the police will ask for VIN and chassis number. This information helps the police to establish the ownership of the car when it is recovered.
Police will verify VIN and hand over the recovered car to you.
Display your car’s VIN.
Etching the VIN on the body and window of a car can be a good idea. It is difficult to sell a car showing its Vin prominently.
Install a Dashcam
A dashcam is a video camera fixed on your car’s front windshield. It is capable of recording the video even when the vehicle is parked. Many thieves visit the parking area before the day of actual theft. You can watch the recorded video to find any suspicious movement and activity near your car and take preventive actions.
Install an anti-theft audible alarm system.
This alarm system makes a loud noise, normally the car horn, when a thief opens the car door. This attracts the people nearby and can be a strong deterrent for the thief.
A combination of anti-theft alarms and steering and gear lever locks can make it tough to steal a car.
GPS trackers
- Installing a GPS tracker for your car is a good idea. However, it may not come cheap.
- In case of a car theft, the GPS tracker allows you to track its location and makes the job easy for police.
- It is important to fix the GPS tracker in a place that is harder for the thief to locate. If located, the thief may happily throw it out.
Never leave valuables in the car.
The best thing is never to leave valuables in your car visible to passersby. It attracts the thief to break a window to steal the valuables but can drive away the car also.
Never leave valuables like purses, or gold ornaments in your car. If you must leave it, find a safe hidden place for it.
Security of garage
If you own an independent house with a garage, ensure the garage is securely closed and locked.
Install lights that have motion sensitivity. Lights that switch on automatically will bring the thieves into the spotlight and deter them from theft.
Vehicle insurance
As the technicians create anti-theft devices for your car, intelligent thieves learn how to break it. So, an antitheft device may pose hurdles for the thief but does not eliminate the theft by 100 percent.
This makes Vehicle Insurance the most important security for your car. Select a comprehensive car insurance that covers every risk including theft.
Read the policy document, including those in small letters, and understand it fully before you pay the premium.
Theft of car parts
Some thieves may be interested in only stealing car parts like wheels, batteries, and stereos. Discuss this with your car mechanic, and install economical security measures to safeguard such items.
You may add the catalytic converter of the car exhaust to this list. Thieves are interested in the precious metals used in this device. Ensure your car manufacturer has built it difficult to steal.
Preventive measures while driving
There are several reported theft cases where the thieves crookedly stop a car, do a robbery, throw the driver out, and drive the car away. Such incidents can be minimized by following simple rules:
- Always go for the main roads, where you will find fellow motorists. This is especially important during the night.
- Do not go for lonely shortcut roads. Your safety is important.
- Never take unknown people into your car. They may offer 100 reasons. Be firm and say no.
- If you notice suspicious activities or people on the road, dial the police for help. Do not stop your car.
- If you must get out of your car briefly on the way, ensure the windows and doors are locked. Make a habit of closing all windows before getting out of the car.
Reporting a stolen car to the police
Unfortunately if your car is stolen, please take the following actions:
Inform the jurisdictional police officer, preferably in person.
The police may ask for the following details:
- The make, year of manufacturing, model, and color of the car.
- License plate number.
- Vehicle Identification Number or VIN and chassis number.
- Identification of the parked area from which the car is stolen.
- Share the details of the GPS tracker if your car has it.
Conclusion
I wish all the readers of this article a safe parking for your cars. May your cars never attract the eyes of thieves. Hope this article was helpful to you. Happy and safe driving.
You may like to read the following articles:
What is a car Radiator and how it works?
What are FWD, RWD, AWD, and 4WD drives of a car, and their pros and cons.
You may watch this YouTube video. This video is about security for high-end cars and SUVs.