Best Tips To Help Prevent Car Break-ins

In the U.S., nearly 750,000 vehicles are being stolen each year. And according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a vehicle is stolen in the country every forty-five seconds.

Moreover, there are some smash-and-grab thieves who are not geared towards stealing your vehicle at all. They just want to break into your vehicle and take every valuables they can.

But regardless, it is important to make sure your vehicle is safe from break-ins. This gives you the best possible defense and makes your vehicle unattractive to thieves.

Here are some important things you MUST do to avoid car break-ins:

How to Prevent Car Break-Ins

ALWAYS lock the doors

Let’s start with the basics. Always make sure that your doors are locked and your windows are rolled up before leaving your vehicle.  Your locks are your first line of defense against thieves. Unlocked doors obviously give thieves an easy way to break into your car, steal your valuables, or hotwire and take away your car.

Don’t leave your valuables inside

Speaking of valuables, avoid keeping any expensive item inside your vehicle. This includes your bags, wallets, phones, laptops, or any other valuables that can catch the interest of thieves.

However, if you can’t avoid keeping your valuables inside, make sure that you hide or cover them when leaving your vehicle parked. This might not save your stuff from theft in case of a break-in, but this makes your vehicle a less attractive target for criminals.

Pick safe parking spots

Always be cautious where you park your vehicle. As much as possible, only park in well-lit and well-trafficked spots. Making your vehicle visible to other people minimizes the risk of break-ins since thieves usually work in the dark to avoid suspicions.

If you have a garage at home, it would be better to always leave your car there. If going out, opt to park in monitored parking areas. They might require fees, but the level of security it provides your vehicle is worth a few dollars.

Invest in anti-theft measures

Anti-theft systems discourage thieves from breaking into your vehicle. Thieves usually target cars that don’t have anti-theft measures as those are much easier to break into, allowing them to do the crime faster.

Here are some anti-theft tools you can invest in:

• steering wheel lock
• window alarms
• ignition cut-off system

Protect Your Vehicle and Valuables

Don’t give thieves the opportunity to break into your vehicle. It is one of your most expensive valuables and it serves an important purpose in your day-to-day life. By making your car as less attractive as possible to criminals, you can protect it and the valuables you keep inside.