More and more cars are being stolen in the modern world. Even though most modern cars have become extremely difficult to steal due to security measures like engine immobilisers and alarms, thieves have even found a way around the high-tech equipment. As per data from the police, out of all the stolen vehicles, only 5% are recoverable.
Here are 5 common things that one can take care to make it difficult for the thieves.
Valet parking
There have been numerous instances where the car gets stolen from a valet parking. The thieves change identity to gain access to the cars parked in valet. Most of the times they say that the parking receipt has been lost.
Valet parking drivers may also copy your car keys and make a duplicate of the codes embedded in the car keys. They can later use such duplicate keys to steal the vehicle. It will not trigger any alarm as the car will not know the difference between the original key and the duplicate. Always make sure that you park your vehicle by yourself whenever possible.
Leaving spare key in the car
Leaving the spare key in the car is the easiest way of getting your car stolen. Spare keys are not meant to be kept inside the vehicle. If the thief knows that you keep the spare key in the car, it may become an easy target. All the thief has to do is break the glass and gain access into the car. A spare key will help the thief to start the car and go away easily. Always keep access to spare key in a secure area. If a housemaid or a person visiting your place gains access to the spare key, you car will be in danger.
Park your vehicle right
If your car is parked at a dark place, chances of your car getting jacked are very high. Your vehicle should be parked at well-lit places always. If you’re parking in a mall, avoid parking it in a dark corner. Spotting a CCTV and parking near it will discourage the thieves. If you cannot spot a CCTV, park near a spot where there is a lot of human movement, for example, near an escalator.
Original documents
If you keep the car’s original documents in the glovebox, it can result in a grave mistake. If any unauthorised personnel gains access to the vehicle, the documents will provide free access to the vehicle through any police check post. Make sure that you keep the original documents at a safe place or carry it in a bag with you whenever you park the vehicle.
Install anti-theft devices
Anti-theft devices like immobilisers can be broken and bypassed by high-tech computers. Old techniques like steering lock and gear-shift lock can be great contraceptives against the car thieves. Such devices need a lot of work to break. The car thieves may not be even interesting in your vehicle after seeing these devices. If you want, you can also install GPS based devices that can track your vehicle and can give you SMS location of the vehicle anytime you want.
