Your car, you worked hard and saved to be able to afford it, it takes you to work every morning, it takes you to places you didn’t even know existed and at one point you even thought about giving it a nickname ;-). If you are one of the people who appreciates their car, you certainly do not want to have it stolen.
Every year, in France, around 200,000 cars are stolen and less than half of these cars are found. We have put together some tips and tricks for you to protect yourself against theft and prevent you from being part of the statistics.
1. Do not leave valuable items there
Leaving valuable objects, clearly visible, in your car is an invitation to be stolen that a malicious person will certainly not refuse. Make sure that nothing in your car attracts the curiosity of thieves and you will have peace of mind.
2. Highlight the alarm system
Conversely, what you should highlight is the alarm or security system present in your car. Between a car equipped with a security system and another without protection, therefore easier to steal, the choice for the thief is quickly made. Install a flashing LED or clearly visible sticker as a deterrent. Small clarification: a dog in a car is NOT an alarm 😉
3. Store it in a garage
A thief is not going to bother forcing a garage door to finally be able to steal your vehicle when he can take a car directly from the street. The garage does not make life easy for car thieves and if you have one, it is better to use it to keep your car safe.
4. Check that everything is securely locked
This is obvious advice, but a little reminder doesn’t hurt: before leaving your vehicle, make sure the windows are all closed and the doors are securely locked, even if you’re getting out of the car just to fetch your baguette.
5. Park in the right place
Don’t be surprised if your car isn’t where you left it if you park in a bad neighborhood. The instruction is to choose a well-lit, secure place that is not too far from homes.
6. Do not exit with the engine running
You take a big risk when you leave the engine running and go out to defrost your windshield or smoke a cigarette while waiting for the engine to warm up. Thieves are always on the lookout and it is not certain that your Car Insurance reimburses you knowing that you left the engine running and the key in the ignition.
7. Place an anti-theft rod
The principle of the anti-theft rod is to deter thieves from attacking your car when there are others around that are easier to steal. Be aware, however, that an experienced thief will not be at all intimidated by an anti-theft cane.
8. Do not leave the duplicate key or papers in the car
It would be a shame to make it easier for thieves, especially since they systematically look for a spare key in the car before trying to connect the wires to start it. The same goes for the papers, which will be useful to the thief to avoid being arrested by the police and to resell the car more easily.
9. Steer the wheels against the curb
This will complicate the thief’s task if he cannot start the car and decides to drive it anyway by releasing the handbrake.
10. Take the wheel with you
A car without a steering wheel isn’t exactly easy to drive and thieves don’t walk around with a steering wheel in their hand. On some cars, installing a special adapter gives you the ability to remove the steering wheel. Do a little search on Google and you might find what you’re looking for.
11. Install a circuit breaker
The principle is to install a switch, generally connected to the starter wires, which will be well hidden, and which must be activated otherwise the car will not start. As long as the thief doesn’t find the kill switch, your car won’t move from where you left it.
12. Install a GPS tracker
The GPS tracker won’t stop thieves from taking your car, but it will get it back to you quickly as long as you know exactly where it is at any time. A good investment for luxury car owners.