Over 1 million vehicles were stolen in the U.S. last year. So says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Driver errors, such as leaving keys in cars, contributed to nearly 50% of the thefts.
Considering the cost of new and used cars, you must avoid mistakes that can turn your vehicle into another statistic.
Here are 13 things you can do to reduce the risks of someone stealing your ride. Numbers 1 and 11 might surprise you as much as they’ll befuddle most car thieves.
Get a Stick Shift Car
A New York Times report says only around two in 10 Americans (18%) can drive a manual car.
Even if a car thief can quickly and easily hotwire and drive off with a car, it’ll be harder if the enterprising criminal can’t get the vehicle out of neutral.
Thieves from all walks of life prefer easy targets that won’t cause them too much trouble.
Considering how few people can drive cars with manual transmissions, you can reduce the odds of someone misappropriating your ride with a stick shift over an automatic tranny.
Park It in the Garage
If someone wants to steal your car, it might be easier to do the dastardly deed in your driveway rather than in your garage. A car locked away in a secure garage isn’t an easy target.
Of course, not all homeowners have garages. But if you do, use it. Car thieves cruising your neighborhood in search of suitable vehicles to take won’t see yours if it’s locked away.
There’s one thing to keep in mind, though. If parking in the garage, you must keep the garage door closed. Otherwise, the only things you’ll protect your vehicle from are the rain and snow.
Leaving the garage door open will give car thieves a comfy place to hotwire your car. They may even use tools you store in the garage to accomplish their nefarious task. How nice of you!
Lock the Doors and Windows
Do yourself a favor. Keep the doors and windows locked when you’re not in your car.
A skilled car thief doesn’t need much to hotwire a vehicle, drive it off your driveway, and separate you from your vehicular property.
Hotwiring is about bypassing a car’s ignition switch so it can be started without using a key.
While little will dissuade a determined car thief, you’ll stand a fighting chance by locking the doors and windows. Crooks might think twice and seek an easier target.
Don’t Leave the Key in the Car
Don’t leave your car keys in the ignition when you’re not in the car. Most people know that doing so isn’t a great idea — but nobody thinks doing so will cost them their vehicle. And it shouldn’t.
If you commit this error, any car thief can easily get into your car and drive off. It’s almost like gift-wrapping your vehicle and handing it over to a more-than-willing car thief.
Park in Well-Light Areas
Thieves prefer to do their shameful deeds under the cover of darkness. On the one hand, they know what they’re doing is wrong. On the other hand, they don’t want to get caught.
Parking in well-lit areas can reduce the odds of your car being stolen. If parked in the driveway at night, keep the exterior lights on. And avoid parking in the shadows when out and about.
Keep Valuables Out of Sight
It’s best to keep your valuables at home. But if you have expensive stuff in your car, keep them out of sight. If thieves can see a smartphone, GPS unit, laptop bag, or other things by peering through a window, you might soon be deprived of your hard-earned stuff.
Put valuables in your trunk, center console, glove box, under the seat, or elsewhere.
Install a Vehicle Alarm System
Few things can be more stressful to a car thief than a blaring vehicle alarm system. It can interfere with their efforts to steal vehicles and make quick getaways. They’ll often abort.
While determined criminals trying to steal high-end cars might continue despite activated security alarms, most will flee the scene so they can live to steal another day.
Install an Immobilizer
An immobilizing device will help stop car thieves in their tracks. After getting such a device installed in your vehicle, criminals won’t be able to hotwire it by bypassing the ignition system.
If your vehicle has a keyless entry, a smart key, or a key fob, you already have a built-in immobilizer system.
Don’t “Hide” a Spare Key Near Your Car
Don’t try to hide a spare key in a magnetic box attached to the undercarriage of your car. Experienced car thieves know where to look to find these spare keys.
If you employ this method and a car thief finds the magnetic box containing the key, kiss your vehicle goodbye. Your best bet is to keep a spare key in your wallet or purse.
Use Anti-Theft Devices
Another good idea is to use anti-theft devices. Examples include steering wheel locks, kill switches, and dash cams. When car thieves see these devices, they know what time it is.
Rather than taking on a high-risk task, crooks will likely look for something that’s less fortified.
Etch the VIN on the Windows
You can also get your car’s VIN etched onto the windows. If a car thief wants to steal your ride and flip it for a quick profit, that’ll be hard if your VIN is etched onto the windows.
It’ll cost more than it’s worth to replace the windows and pass your car onto someone else. Going the window-etching route will make your ride a less desirable target.
Install a Vehicle Tracking System
Installing a vehicle tracking system makes sense. If a criminal knows you’ve done this, they’ll abort whatever plan they had to steal your car.
A vehicle tracking system will make it easy for you or the authorities to track down the location of your ride in real-time.
Activate the Parking Brake
Sometimes, car thieves bring in the heavy artillery — tow trucks — to get what they want.
Lazy car thieves might use tow trucks to hook up vehicles and tow them away. But if you routinely activate the parking brake, you can lessen the odds of this happening.
Parking brakes lock the rear wheels, making it harder to tow the vehicle.
Help your cause by using the parking brake. Even the most determined car thief will likely decide to look for another target if the parking brake is activated.
Follow These Tips to Keep Your Car Safe
While nothing will stop a car thief determined to take a car, these 13 tips can reduce the odds of being victimized.
Take these recommendations to heart to avoid becoming another statistic.
