If you’ve experienced a car break-in before, it was devastating for you. Imagine you return to your car and find the doors open and some things stolen. Or even worse, you find your car missing. Such a scenario will give you a sinking feeling. Car break-ins often happen worldwide. According to statistics, in the US, 1,001,967 cars were reported stolen. This has increased by 9.2% compared with 2019. Therefore, car thefts are increasing each year.
So, taking precautions is best to avoid getting in a car break-in situation. Look for strategies to protect your car from theft.
Here are the tips and strategies for protecting your vehicle from break-ins.
1. Install GPS Car Tracker
Installing the best car tracker is a very effective strategy to improve the security of your car.
A GPS car tracker is small, and you can install it discreetly in your vehicle to track your car’s location in actual time.
In case of a car break-in, it is very useful. This is because it can be used as evidence and will help you catch the thieves or recover your car.
Apart from the actual time tracking, GPS also has geofencing features. This feature helps in setting up virtual barriers around your vehicle. So, if your car leaves the barrier, you will get a quick notification or alert. Because of the quick alert, you will prevent your car from being broken into or stolen.
2. Park Your Car in a Secure Place
This is also an important strategy you should follow to prevent car break-ins. You can find a garage with security guards or one the public can’t access easily. If there is no garage nearby, you can find a lighted parking lot to park your car.
There is less likelihood of thieves breaking into cars in well-lighted places. Moreover, before you park your car, you should think wisely about the perfect location.
Remote areas are the worst places to park your vehicle. This is because thieves can break into your car in remote places, and there is a high probability no one will see them.
You should instead park in locations or areas that have high foot traffic. If you find a parking lot, please be cautious about packing your automobile below a CCTV camera. If thieves see CCTVs, they can be deterred from breaking into your car.
3. Protect Your Car’s Wheels
Most people overlook protecting their car’s wheels forgetting that it’s an essential feature in your car. Wheels can lure attraction from most people, and not to forget, thieves. If your car wheels are of a good model, thieves can easily remove them and sell them.
You know how expensive your car wheels are. You wouldn’t want the expense of buying new car wheels when you aren’t prepared. So, to prevent car break-ins and your wheel’s from being stolen, you can use wheel clamps or lug nut locks.
Lug nut locks are nuts that need their key to remove. So, with a lug nut lock, thieves will struggle to steal your car wheels. On the contrary, wheel clams are devices that connect to your wheels. They make the wheels tough to remove without the key.
Lug nut locks are a simple strategy for protecting your car from break-ins. Wheel clamps are the perfect option if you’re leaving your car in a high-crime area for a long time.
4. Activate Your Car’s Alarm
Another tip for preventing or stopping car break-ins is activating your car’s alarm. This is among the best ways to prevent car break-ins. If someone tries to break into your car, your car’s alarm will go on and make a blasting noise. The car alarm sound discourages many thieves from breaking into cars.
You can invest in other anti-theft measures if you don’t trust a car alarm to stop thieves from breaking in. Such measures include:
- Ignition cut off
- Steering wheel lock
- Window Alarm
You can also use a security technology that allows two-way communication. Such a system will notify you if your alarm goes off.
5. Remove Valuables From the Car
This is also a crucial strategy for preventing car break-ins. If you leave your valuables in your car and burglars can easily see through, it can attract the burglars. Even if you leave behind empty shipping carriers, it may suggest to the thieves that there is something treasured inside the car.
So, to avoid car break-ins or attracting thieves, removing everything you find valuable from your car is best. Some valuables to remove can be a phone, purse, or laptop. Don’t leave anything that can tempt thieves to break into your vehicle.
If you can’t remove some things from the car, you can keep them in the trunk. Keeping them in the trunk reduces the visualness of your treasured items. If you have to leave your valuables in the car, ensure you park in a secure, well-lit place.
6. Secure Your Car Keys
Car burglars also look for a chance to steal a vehicle. If they can access your car keys, they can easily break into your car and steal it.
Therefore, to avoid car break-ins, keeping your keys well and never leaving them in your vehicle is best. Don’t leave your keys in the car even if you’re just going out for two minutes.
Be thoughtful of where to store your spare key so that car burglars can’t access it. Whether you store your spare key outside or inside your car, it will make it easy for thieves to break into your car.
Wondering why it’s easy for burglars to steal your car when your spare key is outside? This is possible because the newer cars have some push start features, and if the key is near, the car can be started.
You can keep your keys in your office or a safe place at your home. Additionally, you can use a keyless remote to lock and unlock your car. Keyless remotes for unlocking and locking your car are mainly in the most updated cars. These keyless remotes are very convenient, and it reduces or prevents car break-ins.
Take Away
Preventing car break-ins needs effective preventive measures. You must park your car in a secure garage or a well-lit parking lot. Moreover, you can go through the guide above and see some strategies to prevent burglars from breaking into your car. These tips are effective and will help you avoid the hassle of dealing with a car break-in.
