Best Ways to Prevent Auto Theft

Going to your car and finding it is not where you parked is a sickening feeling. Auto theft is one of the most popular crimes committed. Auto theft is usually committed by either young people seeking a free joy ride or someone trying to get away from the police. Some times your car is found in one piece with a broken steering column or it is damaged in a high-speed chase or vandalized. Whatever the case, it isn’t a pleasant experience. So, what can one do to prevent your car from being stolen? We have all heard to lock our car doors and don’t leave our keys in the ignition but that won’t prevent your car from being stolen. And many car thieves know how to dismantle many factory security devises. Besides the popular bar that goes across your steering column or the car alarms that come with different alarms to alert you there are some additional ways to prevent auto theft.

To prevent your car from being the next victim of auto theft the key is to slow down the thief. If a car thief is slowed down by devices, more than likely they will move on to the next easy target. You want to let the thief know that your car has an alarm installed before they try to pry open the doors, pick the locks, or break the window. Make sure your car alarm system shows a little red light blinking near the dashboard. Similar to the home security signs put up in front of homes, you can put small stickers on your car’s window advertising the alarm system. If you have a general motors car that has an easy to break steering column, instead of big clunky club that you have to lock and unlock you can permanently install a collar for the steering column reinforcing the area. I suggest getting the one that can be permanently installed instead of the one that has to be removed every time you start the car. You never know when you may need to start that car as soon as possible without having to remove something before you start your car.

When you park against a curb always turn the wheels all the way to the right or left making sure the wheels re not pointed straight. This slows down thieves, which is the determining factor for thieves stealing cars, how quick they can break in and start the car. This method also makes it difficult for your car to be towed because of the angle of the wheels. You may also think about installing a car alarm that signals when the car is tilted to hamper towing. Another way to prevent auto theft with identification is to have your VIN number on all the windows and major parts of the car like the doors and bumpers. Body shops won’t take cars or parts that are identified like this and thieves know this. Putting the VIN number everywhere makes it hard to erase the auto’s identification. Also, put a small sign in the window notating that all parts have the VIN number listed on them.

The last way to help prevent auto theft is to purchase a toggle switch on the wire that runs from the ignition to the starter. Hide the switch among the wires so it won’t be noticed. Turn the switch off when you leave the car preventing anyone from starting the car until the switch is turned on by you. However if buying a new car make sure you check the warranty, many dealers void warranties on the electrical system if wires are cut to install security devices. Unfortunately, the toggle switch maybe more theft resistant than the dealer’s security system.