autoevolution
 

Low Tech Anti-Car Theft Tips

The holiday season is approaching and the last thing on anybody's mind is how to keep his/her car from getting stolen. Every year, the holiday season is the busiest for car thieves and the number of complaints related to car theft increases dramatically in this period. Maybe it is because normal people tend to get less cautious, or because the holiday spirit is instinctively against stealing or harming others. Regardless of the reason, cars and houses are the prime targets in the holiday season for thieves looking to make a quick buck. There are of course a number of things you can do to prevent your car from getting stolen. We are not talking here about using complicated anti-theft devices, but about implementing a few basic behavioral patterns which will certainty spare the headache and troubles of having your car stolen. MY CAR IS A THIEF PROOF SUPERCAR
Modern day cars come with a wide range of anti-theft devices. Regardless of who put them into the car, the carmaker or an aftermarket specialist, these systems and devices give the owner of the car a false sense of security. Central and Eastern Europe for instance are currently plagued by car thieves rings which have made a habit of stealing luxury cars, the same which are pretty much considered to be thief-proof.

Regardless of the car you won, remember that the security systems fitted into them are man made and, as any man made item, another one, of equal and opposite force has or will soon be created. Car alarms can be disabled, the car's computer can be tricked into accepting another key than the right one and security software can be hacked.

Basically, there is no thief-proof supercar. Remember that thieves don't always go for the car itself, but for its contents as well. This makes the countless security systems put there to prevent the car from being stolen redundant if the only thing the thief wants is the purse on the back seat.

So, we're not going to talk about immobilizers, OnStar or steering wheel locking devices. We're going to try and remind you a few common sense tips which may render the most advanced stealing technology useless.

WHAT TO DO TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT A VICTIM

To avoid having your car stolen, you first of all pay as much attention to it as you do your wallet. Remember that the car is an item too, desired by others not so pure in intentions and a momentary slip of attention may seriously bend your budget.

Remember car thieves can be everywhere, watching you and your car. There's no need to get paranoid and start chasing people on the street for peaking at your car, but a decent degree of distributive attention might help you spot the danger before it spots you.

Choosing the parking spot – as any unlawful activity, car stealing requires a certain degree of intimacy. Dark, low-traffic areas are the perfect setup of a car or its contents to get stolen. Avoid parking the car in places where there is little light and little traffic. Choose instead densely populated areas, with plenty of other cars around, even if this means circling the parking lot a few times before finding a spot.

Exiting the car - make sure that once you leave the car, you take all your possessions with you. Don't leave your wallet or purse laying on the right seat or in the rear. Avoid placing dark objects, which may resemble a briefcase, in the car and leave it unattended. Once you are out of the car, make sure you have taken your keys out of the ignition.

Locking the car – locking the car can turn into an extra obstacle for the car thief. Don't leave the car unlocked and remember to roll up the windows and close the sunroof, if any. Make sure the trunk is also closed. If the car has an alarm system, arm it.

Unmovable objects – if, by any reason, you have with you an object you can't or won't take out of the car, place it in the trunk. When doing so, try not to be obvious about it. Remember however that the trunk of the car is perhaps the most vulnerable and placing and object there doesn't make it thief-proof, At best, it might limit the damages brought to your car by the clumsy thief.

DODGING STALKERS

Car stalkers are a special breed of car thieves. They can tag along for a full day, trying to find the perfect moment to strike. Their preferred pray are drivers who leave the car unlocked while going to get something out of the trunk. As soon as the driver's field of vision is blocked by the trunk lid, a thief reaches quietly in the car and steals whatever caught his eye. Avoid leaving the doors of the car open while you go to the trunk. Just closing them, without locking, can be enough to deter the thief.

Another method of stealing from cars has become somewhat of a plague in countries around Europe. A driver may at one point see he or she has a flat tire, one which cannot be explained. While trying to replace the tire, the thieves will move to the opposite side of the car, slowly open the door and reach for whatever is inside. By the time police gets to the scene, the driver learns that the flat tire had been punctured by the thieves.

This usually happens at traffic stops, with the thieves then following the car of the victim until it stops. Make sure you are not followed when you have a flat tire. Avoid changing the tire, especially if the flat is suspicious in nature, by your own (unless, of course, you have no other choice). Take the car in at a service to complete the operation.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Daniel Patrascu
Daniel Patrascu profile photo

Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories