Preventing Car Theft

[DavidB]

by David W. Bynon

Car theft is a worldwide crime. According to the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI), more than 1.6 million cars a year were stolen in the United States each year during the 1990's. In Texas, a car is stolen every five and a half seconds. This is big business, and you could be the next victim.

Car theft is a crime that affects more than just car owners. Insurance companies and banks are also affected. Car theft raises insurance rates for everyone. According to Progressive Auto Insurance, here are the top three reasons that cars are stolen in the U.S.: 55% were unlocked, 34% left the windows open, 6% left keys in the car. This article provides ten simple tips you should use to prevent your car, truck or van from being stolen.

<strong>Tip #1</strong> -- When you walk away from your car, lock it up. This means roll-up the windows, too. A window cracked open for ventilation is an invitation for a thief. I even make it a practice lock my car when it's in the garage. You just never know, and the more difficult you make it for a thief, the better your chances of keeping your car "yours".

<strong>Tip #2</strong> -- This seems pretty obvious, but you'd be amazed at how often people hide keys in or on their car. Don't do it. Car thieves are criminals, but they are not stupid. Car thieves know all of the typical, and not so typical, hiding places. Any spot that you might think is safe, isn't.

<strong>Tip #3</strong> -- Do not leave valuables visible in your car. Cameras, laptop computers, purses, wallets and packages are all very encouraging for a would-be thief. Cover your valuables up with a coat or blanket, or put them in the trunk.

<strong>Tip #4</strong> -- Use a mechanical theft deterrent. An example is a device called "The Club." This is a security bar prevents the steering wheel from being turned. This won't stop a professional who really wants your car, but it will slow them down. The Club and other devices like it can be defeated with a hacksaw by cutting the steering wheel.


<strong>Tip #5</strong> -- If you car did not come with a factory alarm, but an aftermarket alarm and have it professionally installed. There are many types of electronic car alarms, as well as other electronic deterrents. The best alarm is one that will disable the car fro being started. Very few people pay much attention to alarm sirens anymore; they are simply an annoyance.

<strong>Tip #6</strong> -- Always park your car in areas that are well-lit and well-traveled. Don't risk parking or leaving your car in a high-crime areas. Likewise, avoid parking your car in places that are not well-traveled. Car thieves look for cars in dark alleys and deserted parking lots. The safest parking lots are those with attendants.

<strong>Tip # 7</strong> -- Avoid parking where your car can easily be towed. Car thieves often disguise themselves as tow truck drivers. If you park your car at the end of a block, you're an easy target. I know, I had my first Porsche stolen via tow truck. I had every safety device available on the car. They did a snatch-n-go and were gone in less than 3 minutes.

<strong>Tip #8</strong> -- Never leave your car running unless you are sitting in the driver's seat. It's amazing how many thefts occur at gas stations because a car owner leave the car running while they run inside for directions. It can even happen in front of your own home, while you're waiting for the car to warm on a cold day. Be safe, when you get out of your car, take your keys with you.

<strong>Tip #9</strong> -- Protect your name and address. Do not leave information about you or where you live in your car for a thief-in-disguise to see. If you Valet park your car, or have the car worked on at a service center, be sure to take your registration with you or lock it in the glove box. Also, if your car comes with a valet key, give this key to the valet or service station, not your regular ignition key. Likewise, don't put your address or your car's license plate number on your keys. If you lose your keys, a thief knows where to pick up their new car.

<strong>Tip #10</strong> -- Never leave your insurance or original registration documents in your car. Doing so makes it easier for a thief to sell your car after they steal it. I recommend making a copy of your registration papers. Write across the top and bottom of the copy "ORIGINAL MAINTAINED BY LEGAL OWNER".

Don't be a victim of ignorance. Follow these simple tips and you will drastically reduce the chances of your car being stolen.

[Shiny Lil Detlr]

Originally posted by DavidB
by David W. Bynon

<strong>Tip # 7</strong> -- Avoid parking where your car can easily be towed. Car thieves often disguise themselves as tow truck drivers. If you park your car at the end of a block, you're an easy target. I know, I had my first Porsche stolen via tow truck. I had every safety device available on the car. They did a snatch-n-go and were gone in less than 3 minutes.

also to add to this, when your vehicle is in a parking space or in your driveway you can make it more difficult for the vehicle to be towed by doing the following:

for front wheel drive autos, park with the rear wheels facing the street/accessible end. for rear wheel drive autos, park with the front wheels facing the street/accessible end.

This makes it so that if the vehicle is picked up by the accessible wheels, the drive wheels will be in contact with the ground in transit (in Parked gear)..... this will cause major mechanical dammage to the drivetrain and the vehicle will not move for the thief when they try to get it started/moving. Any thief resourceful enough to be using the "tow" method should know and recognize this, thus he will not attempt to steal your vehicle.

[caddyman]

Here is an obvios one, but..USE YOUR PARKING BRAKE! IF you have a FWD car all 4 wheels will be locked! Nice tip about the driveway thing!

[PrinzII]

HID theft is a growing concern in this country. If you go to any Acura, Mercedes, BMW, Audi Lexus, Infiniti, or Nissan dealer, you are going to find some cars with their HIDs missing. Since these lights are so expensive to replace, the easiest thing to do in order to slow the thief down is get some tamper-resistant bolts so that they cannot be easily removed.

[FocusRun]

The keys for Ford and Mercury cars also have them chips in the key head. But unless you're driving a tricked out Mustang Cobra... who would wanna steal a ford... Then again, theives steal anything and everything they could get their grubby hands on.

[FocusRun]

I would recommend LoJack too... You also save some in the insurance part and it increases the resale value of your car. For you guys driving them nice Porche's, Benz, etc etc, LoJack is a couple of hundred dollars more and it'll give you a bit of extra protection.

[Taxlady]

I'm already cautious about most of the stuff on that list, but there were some good points. I hadn't thought of parking where it's harder to be towed. I also liked the copy of the registration idea.

I have the ignition cut off type of theft deterrent as well as a "Boomerang". It's sort of like LoJack, but works on a different system. it helps locate your car, if it's stolen. It has made a change in the m.o. of car thieves in Montreal. Now, they will often park a stolen car for 24 hours before doing anything - just in case the cops show up. It cost about $300 Cdn and there is a monthly surveillance fee. It really lowers my insurance premium. Not quite enough to cover the surveillance fee.

[samiam513]

David B. Gotta correction I saw.

Tip #5 -- If you car did not come with a factory alarm, but an aftermarket alarm and have it professionally installed. There are many types of electronic car alarms, as well as other electronic deterrents. The best alarm is one that will disable the car fro being started.

Nice article though!

[Shiny Lil Detlr]

Originally posted by samiam513
David B. Gotta correction I saw.

Tip #5 -- If your car did not come with a factory alarm, butbuy an aftermarket alarm and have it professionally installed. There are many types of electronic car alarms, as well as other electronic deterrents. The best alarm is one that will disable the car from being started.

Nice article though!

[Taxlady]

also in number 5:

If you car did not come with a factory alarm, but an aftermarket alarm...

I guess that should have been buy.

edit: I guess SLD and I were posting at the same time. We really aren't picking on you David.

[Shiny Lil Detlr]

taxlady: I found 3 typos in #5 (see post above )


yeah, what she said: we're not pickin on you, just trying to Autopia a Verbal Utopia hehehe...

[fat biker]

Good article.

I believe "the club" and it's clones are just too easy to defeat to bother with. The thief cuts through the steering wheel with a hacksaw and that's that.

I think the most effective, and inexpensive deterrent are ignition/fuel cut off. The car will not run without fuel and spark. An emergency implementation of this would be to pull the fuel pump relay.

Just my $.02

fat biker