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Considering the number of cars broken into these days, vehicle owners should know how to prevent car break-ins. Those break-ins are one of the most common crimes, so they’ve become a common occurrence nowadays. Fortunately, they are also preventable.
Break-ins are done by thieves who are on the lookout for an easy target. Make sure your car is not one of them if you don’t want it to happen to you. There are many tips and tricks you can use to make things more difficult for burglars.
We have put together a list of different tips and anti-theft methods to help you prevent your car from getting broken into. Go check them out!
How to Prevent Car Break-Ins
Method 1: How to Prevent Car Break-Ins by Activating an Unusual or Sensitive Alarm
The first thing you need to do is to set up an alarm system on your car. Today, almost every new car comes with a built-in alarm. All you need to do is activate it.
When somebody tries to open the door or turn your vehicle on, the alarm is going to make a loud noise, which is a great deterrent for most car thieves. However, that noise is not always enough to deter burglars. Follow these tips to keep your car safe.
Tip 1: Acquire the Right Alarm System
You will want an unusual, scary, and loud alarm. It is more likely to ward off thieves when they try to steal your car. Additionally, you may set up a window alarm and increase the sensitivity of your car. If someone attempts to open the windows or locked doors, this will easily trigger your alarm system and alert onlookers.
Tip 2: Apply a Warning Sticker
While not a permanent solution, a warming sticker will reduce the risk of break-ins. A set of opaque, bold stickers saying that your car is equipped with an alarm and GPS tracking system can scare many thieves. Stick them on the doors of your vehicle and you are likely to get excellent results for a few years.
Tip 3: Install a Pre-Recorded Alarm & Sound Device
It is worth investing in a pre-recorded alarm that loudly announces someone is trying to break into your car. If you aren’t confident in the ability of your alarm, install a sound device too. These gadgets can produce different warning sounds – like a fake police call, bomb countdown, etc. –that can cause a thief to run.
Method 2: Install One or More Safety Devices (the more, the better!)
There is a wide range of safety and smart devices that can make your car more secure. Let’s check the most popular ones that are proven to work.
Hidden Kill Switch
The kill switch is meant to prevent thieves from hotwiring a car. As the name suggests, it is a hard-to-detect switch or button tapped into the ignition wires. Hide it out of sight of onlookers in a ‘devious’ location that is not obvious or easy to reach.
You can find this cheap device at most hardware stores. Choose a discrete, small one. The kill switches are designed as on/off and momentary buttons. The latter must be held down to start the vehicle. On-off switches are great for older automobiles.
Vehicle Immobilizers
Many new cars are equipped with immobilizers. If you have an older vehicle, you can purchase an aftermarket immobilizer. This device is intended to prevent thieves from hot-wiring, i.e. starting the car without the key.
Nighttime Blinking Lights
Blue and red blinking lights can make your car more secure at night. That’s because they resemble police colors. Thieves are likely to move along when they see these blinking LEDs on your car since they cannot know what the hell it is for.
Steering Wheel Lock
As the name implies, this device can immobilize the steering wheel till being unlocked. Simply attach it to your steering wheel to discourage thieves or at least make it more difficult for them to steal your automobile. It will slim down many potential burglars.
While experienced thieves can drill out a steering wheel lock in a few minutes, it will increase the chances of them getting caught in the process. Not every thieve has serious lock-picking skills and proper tools though.
Method 3: Remove or Disguise Valuables in Your Car
Make sure things such as briefcases, purses, wallets, shopping bags, phones, and jewelry, aren’t visible in your car. Leaving these items in view can easily attract would-be thieves. That often leads to car break-ins. Here are a few tips that can help avoid this scenario.
Tip 1: Remove or Hide Your Belongings
Every time you leave your car, hide or remove expensive or fancy items to prevent them from being stolen. In addition to keeping your vehicle locked and tinting car windows, stow away valuables like cell phones and laptops.
Tip 2: Leave Your Valuables in the Trunk or Cargo Area
The trunk of your car is a good place to store your belongings temporarily. A cargo cover in SUVs and trucks can also serve the purpose of keeping valuables out of sight. If the criminals don’t see something valuable in your car they are less likely to break into it.
Tip 3: Hide Valuables in the Spare Tire
If you have to leave valuable items in your vehicle for a few hours or days, place them in the spare tire. This is one of the last things that come to mind when searching for valuables. It is a good idea to throw a cover over them.
Method 4: Choose Secure Places When Parking Your Car
In some areas, your car could be more vulnerable to a break-in than you think. That’s why you should be smart when choosing a parking place.
- Tip 1: Choose busy lots with a lot of vehicle and pedestrian traffic over the lone spots across the parking lots.
- Tip 2: Before leaving your car in a lot, check if there is a parking lot attendant. Car break-ins are virtually impossible or extremely rare in those places.
- Tip 3: Park in the light when possible. Almost every burglary happens on the cover of night, which is why you should park in well-lit areas if you’ll return after dark.
- Tip 4: Install a motion-sensor light if you prefer parking in front of your house. Despite being stupidly simple, it is an effective deterrent.
- Tip 5: Park your vehicle in a secure garage – either a company or your own one. Choose a garage without public access or one where a fob is required to access.
Method 5: Keep Windows Closed and Doors Locked
This is certainly one of the simplest ways to keep your car protected. Anytime you leave your vehicle, make sure the windows are closed. Also, lock both the driver’s side and passenger doors as well.
Unlocked doors and open windows will encourage would-be burglars to simply enter your car without having to break into it with tools. If they do not have to, burglars avoid picking a lock or busting windows.
They always try to spend as short as possible near cars to reduce the chances of somebody seeing them. That said, keep car windows closed and doors locked when parking your vehicle.
Method 6: Ensure That Your Car Keys Are Secured All the Time
Secure your keys to prevent thieves from having access to them and stealing your car. Don’t stash your car keys or leave them in your automobile even if you want to run into a nearby store for a minute. Instead, take them with you and leave nothing to chance.
You should also be cautious of where you store your spare key(s). Never keep it inside of your vehicle to prevent a break-in. It’s recommended to store the spare key in the house.
FAQs About How to Prevent Car Break-Ins
How Can You Make Your Car More Secure?
There are many car security tips from installing a car alarm, wheel clamps, and steering wheel locks to parking in secured areas to hiding valuables and securing car keys. You may also fit a car immobilizer or use VIN etching, which involves engraving a unique vehicle ID on a few parts of the car.
How Do Thieves Break into Cars?
Most car thieves try to make as little noise as possible without breaking glass or using crowbars. It is not uncommon for experienced thieves to break into new cars in less than a minute or take the car apart. They know how to get at the electronics, find the steering column, and take the wheels off quickly.
Takeaway
Cars are not only an essential part of our lives, but they are also a valuable investment. This makes break-ins and damages to our cars a big financial loss. Now that you know how to prevent car break-ins, this will not be one of your biggest fears anymore.
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