Published on August 28th, 2014 | by Guest

How to Prevent Your Car from Being Stolen

It’s every car owner’s nightmare. You open the front door to go to work in the morning and your car is gone! Now what? This scenario is more likely than you think. Statistics state that in 2007 a million cars were stolen in the United States, which boils down to one car every thirty seconds. Nowadays when My Driving Schools give driving lessons, they also tell their students how to avoid having their vehicles stolen. That’s how bad the situation is. So here are some pointers on how to keep your car from being stolen:

Keys, Windows and Alarms

The first rule for all drivers is so simple you would think that people wouldn’t need to be told, but as it is it seems like it cannot be stressed enough: Don’t leave your keys in the ignition. Even if you only expect to be gone for a couple of minutes, just don’t do it. Always take your keys with you. Incredible as it may seem, twenty percent of all the cars that are stolen were a gift to thieves because their owners left the keys in the ignition.

Close your windows and lock your doors, even if you only plan on being gone for a minute. It’s a fact that fifty percent of all cars that end up being stolen have unlocked doors. And an open window even if only an inch is a golden invitation for a thief to break into the car.

Have an alarm or some type of anti-theft device installed. My Driving Schools would certainly make these recommendations. These include brake and tire locks, steering wheel or steering column locks, tinted windows and VIN etching on windows. If you have tinted windows, a thief won’t be able to see what’s inside your car unless they actually walk right up to the vehicle and look inside. VIN etching forces a thief to remove all of the windows before selling the car or using it himself.

Parking and Disabling

If you’re lucky enough to have a garage, make use of it and don’t park in your driveway. Also, make a habit of parking in well-lit areas. That’s another thing they teach you when you’re taking driving lessons.

And finally, if you find it necessary to leave your car sitting somewhere for a long time, disable it. But only do this if you will be able to quickly and easily fix it once you decide to use it again.

Biography:

Jake Hyten worked for Brisbane My Driving Lessons and Northside My Driving Schools for a total of ten years and is considered an expert who has written numerous articles on driving and cars.

Tags: alarms, car, disabling, keys, parking, prevent, stolen, windows