How To Protect Your Car From Theft

Steering Wheel Lock Bar

A steering wheel lock bar slides over the steering wheel and locks in place, preventing a thief from being able to turn the wheel because the bar hits the car door, preventing the wheel from turning. The bar is typically made out of hardened metal to make it difficult to cut. It also slides inward to make it more compact when not in use, allowing you to store it quickly under the seat or in the trunk.One advantage of the steering wheel lock bar is that its simple and easy to use. It fits onto the steering wheel in seconds and just requires a key to remove it. It is also cost-effective, with many brands costing less than $50.One disadvantage is the inconvenience. While it is quick to put on and take off, this process easily grows tiresome for some users, and you likely grow complacent over time and start leaving it off more often than putting it onto the steering wheel. The other disadvantage is that the bar is easy to remove for a prepared thief. While the bar itself is difficult to cut, the steering wheel itself is not. A thief with a saw or knife hacks through the steering wheel and pulls the lock bar off in a few seconds.

Remove Your Keys From The Vehicle

Never leave your keys in the ignition, says the National Insurance Crime Bureau . If your key is in the car, a thief can simply break a window and drive off. Firestone also cautions against leaving your car running, even if you’re just going into a store for a quick errand. A running vehicle may be an easy mark for a thief, especially if it is unattended or unlocked.

Clever Tips To Protect Your Car From Theft

Do you want to protect your car from being stolen? No doubt you are aware of steering wheel locks, GPS trackers and the various other anti-theft devices for your vehicle. However, to be fully prepared for anything, you may want to consider some additional protections that are more outside the box and can help make your car less of a target for thieves. Knowing the common types of theft and being able to identify the signs that a thief is preparing to steal your vehicle can decrease the risk of finding your car taken.

Cars are stolen more often from places like public parking lots, crossroads by ATMS and gas stations, according topolice statistics. They recommend that you:

• Inspect inside and underneath your car before getting inside.

• Do not travel by yourself, especially after dark.

• Do not stop to give aid to strangers.

• If you get a sense that something is off, then leave. Trust your instincts.

• If you find an unknown person coming towards you, drive away carefully.

• If you do need to stop, give yourself plenty of room to maneuver your car if needed.

• Travel in a middle lane.

• Do not park in a place that has poor visibility.

• Always turn off your engine when getting out of the car, no matter how quick you will be.

• Do not leave your keys near your front door in your home.

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Keep A Photo Of Your Insurance Vin And License Plate On Your Phone

Youre putting yourself at risk if you keep all of your important paperwork in your glove compartment. These are essential documents you cant afford to lose. First of all, we recommend making photocopies to store with the rest of your files. Tap or click here to digitize your most important documents.

Of course, making physical copies isnt the only way to go. If a tornado or a fire hits your home, your backups are toast. Thats why you should take advantage of tech and use digital systems as another form of backup.

Snap a photo of your insurance card, VIN and license plate. That way, if your car is ever stolen, you have critical information at hand. This helps you act quickly just in case the worst comes to pass.

Use Strong Protection Against Hackers

Car burglars will leave no stone unturned to steal your keyless car. Hence, you have to stay one step ahead of them. The thieves may attempt to sneak into your car by using vital log-in details and mobile apps.

To prevent this from happening, you have to use a strong password for all the apps and online accounts you use linked to the car. Also, never share the credentials with anyone.

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Use A Large Purse As A Duffle Bag

You can use the largest purse you own as your duffle bag to make it easier for you to carry large items. Carry all of your valuables in this bag, then when you get into the car, unzip the lining and put the bag inside the car. The lining will hide the fact that anything is there and will make it hard for thieves to find.

Additional Vehicle Theft Prevention Tips

While there is no guaranteed prevention measure against vehicle theft, the Halton Regional Police Service can provide you with following precautions:

• Always lock all of your vehicle’s doors and windows after entering and exiting it.
• Never leave your vehicle unattended with the engine running, even for a few seconds. Turn off the ignition and take the keys with you.
• Vehicle Contents:
• Never hide a spare key in your car or outside your residence
• Never leave personal identification or valuables in your vehicle
• Remove technologic and other removable accessories from view when not in your vehicle

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How To Protect Your Car From Being Broken Into

Holiday shopping during the month of December can be stressful. Busy malls with high traffic volume mean parking lots full of unattended cars, trucks, and SUVs Whether you are heading to West Edmonton Mall or stopping for a quick shopping trip at Chinook Centre in Calgary, its important to keep in mind that December is a busy season for thieves targeting vehicles. Protect your car from being broken into and having valuable items stolen from your vehicle. Weve put together easy ways for your to protect your car from thieves this holiday season.

There are many ways to protect your car from being broken into, our primary recommendation is to always lock your doors and trunk, and keep your windows firmly closed. Some vehicle models will have an automated remote that allows you to simply push a button to lock all doors and trunk of the vehicle. By having your doors, windows, and trunk locked it prevents thieves from having quick entry to your vehicle. On models with an alarm system, having your doors locked will help protect your items from being stolen. If the alarm is activated from someone attempting to break into your car, the alarm will sound drawing attention to your vehicle.

These recommendations can help protect your vehicle from being broken into this holiday season.

Install An Audible Alarm System And Anti

The NHTSA recommends installing an audible alarm system, if your car did not come with one, and using a visible anti-theft device. An audible alarm is designed to emit a loud noise, often the car’s horn, if someone attempts to enter the vehicle while the alarm is on. The unwanted attention attracted by the noise may chase off a potential thief, says the NHTSA. There are quite a variety of car alarms available, says Angi, but keep in mind that you may need to have a mechanic or alarm technician install it for you especially if the installation requires working with the vehicle’s wiring system

Visible devices, such as a steering wheel lock, window etching or an alarm system’s flashing light, may also be enough to deter a car thief, according to the NHTSA. If they are not sure they can get away with the car quietly or fear they may get caught, Firestone says they may just avoid your vehicle altogether.

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Reprogram The Keys Of Second Hand Cars

If your car is second-hand or you have lost one set of car fobs, you have to reprogram the fob to eliminate any chance of car theft. With this process, you can ensure that others can’t access the car using the other set of keys.

Although vehicle key fob reprogramming can be expensive, it’s always good to be on the safe side when it comes to securing your car.

Dont Leave Your Important Documents In Your Vehicle

Like many people, you might be keeping your proof of insurance, your registration, or even your drivers licence in your vehicle. However, this makes life much easier for thieves. If a thief is pulled over by the police, they could just tell the officer that you let them borrow it. If you havent yet reported the theft, they could easily get away with it. Its always better to keep these documents on you.

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Your Vehicle Is Likely To Be One Of Your Biggest Financial Assets

Make sure that you are doing everything in your power to protect your ride. In addition to these tips to prevent auto theft, check with your automobile insurance agent to ensure that your policy covers stolen vehicles in the unfortunate event that this happens to you.

Finally, check the following video to see if your car is on the list of the most stolen models in the U.S.:

helpful

Keep Your Car Doors Locked And Windows Closed

One of the simplest ways to protect your car is to lock the doors and close the windows anytime you aren’t in the vehicle.

Property crimes are often crimes of opportunity: Open windows and unlocked doors can easily attract thieves, or give them opportunities to strike quickly and maintain a low profile. If would-be thieves can’t quickly gain entry to your car, they’ll often simply keep moving.

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Keep Keys Safe In A Blocking Bag

With keyless car theft using the stolen key fob on the rise, no security method is better than securing the fob. Never keep the key fob inside the car. Even at home, keep it somewhere safe and away from the doors and windows to prevent easy burglary.

Keep your car fob and spare sets in a blocking pouch, also known as a Faraday bag. It’ll stop the thieves from grabbing the signal and using it to steal the car.

How To Protect Your Car From This Type Of Theft

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If you currently own a car that uses a keyless remote fob, then there are a few simple ways to protect it from theft. Good Housekeeping recommends keeping the remote fobs away from the front doors and windows of your house. The most ideal spot would be in a metal container or a Faraday pouch, which is a small pouch lined with materials that block signals.

You should always ensure that your car is locked whenever you leave it, especially at night time. This may seem like a simple step, but it can mean the difference between your car getting stolen and not. Also, make sure to park your car in a well-lit place or beside other cars. Lastly, make sure not to leave valuable personal items in the car as they can attract thieves to your car more than anyone elses.

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Thieves Dont Steal Your Car To Drive It

Late entry from C Unit, who still have Officers on . This vehicle was discovered being stripped in a unit that turned out to be a chop shop. 6 people are now staying overnight & we have some work to do in identifying lots of other car parts

WMP Traffic

News headlines and movies often depict criminal organizations that steal high-end luxury and sports cars, exporting them for sale to other countries. While that does indeed happen, the majority of car thefts are not to sell the stolen cars but to sell the parts.

A vehicles VIN makes it virtually impossible to resell a stolen car in the U.S. However, most components on a car dont have the VIN on them. If youve heard the term chop shop, you might see where this is going.

Stolen cars are torn apart, and valuable parts are sold off. Then, most of the time, the remainder of the thieves typically either abandon or destroy whats left of the vehicles chassis.

So, keeping these things in mind is essential. Using this info to deter thieves from your car could save you from potentially never seeing your car again!

A Car Alarm Or Tracker Can Help

While many new cars are fitted with immobilizers or alarms, if your car doesnt have one, then it could be a worthwhile investment. There are plenty of aftermarket alarms with two-way pagers on the market, which will alert you if anyone opens the car door. However, just note that the installation costs and alarm can get pricey.

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Get A Tracker Of Your Own

Sure, criminals are misusing Bluetooth trackers. But you can also use them for their intended purposes. These gadgets are designed to help you keep track of lost things.

A Bluetooth tracker can help you hunt it down ASAP if your car is ever lost. An AirTag will work just fine, but you could also get a specialty tracker like this model:

Remove Your Valet Key

Your car may have an extra key in it that you dont even know about.

Many cars include a key in the owners manual for valet use. Though you likely wont find it in older cars, its important to check your glovebox and owners manual just in case. I

If you do have a valet key, be sure to remove it from your car and store it somewhere safe.

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Consider An Alarm Or Security System:

While there are ways around any security system, the more layers of barriers you have, the more likely a thief is to move on to the next vehicle, says Cosentino. There are several options available:

• Warning Devices: After-market audible car alarms or wheel locks.
• Immobilizing Devices: Such as a good-old fashion steering wheel lock, or a brake lock, which require removal before the vehicle can operate.

Lock Your Doors Close Your Windows Take Your Keys

Even though it goes without saying, were saying it: Lock your doors.

Be sure your cars windows are closed, including the sunroof or, on pickups, the rear cab window.

It may seem obvious, but be sure to double-check that the key is in your pocket or bag when you walk away from the vehicle. With todays push-button start systems, it is remarkably easy to forget you tossed the key in the center console or to realize it fell out of your bag and onto the seat. A thief may merely need to see a key to strike.

Lastly, its not a great practice to store a key in a lockbox mounted under the vehicle. Thieves know where to look.

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Install A Vehicle Immobilizer System

Thieves can bypass your ignition by “hotwiring” your car, but you can help prevent this by using a vehicle immobilizer system, says the NHTSA. According to the NICB, immobilizer systems may incorporate smart keys, kill switches and wireless ignition authentication. They’ll essentially disable the vehicle so that a thief cannot make off with it.

The Best Defense Against Car Theft Starts In Your Own Driveway

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The best defense against car theft starts in your own driveway.

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The best defense against car theft starts in your own driveway.

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It’s been a problem for years, but now there’s an increase in car thefts nationwide.

The economic downturn and public safety limitations could be some contributing factors.

However, the best defense against car theft starts in your own driveway.

Nina and Joel Haberli woke up the day after Christmas only to find their car wasnt in their garage.

I walked up to the street and looked up and down the street thinking maybe we parked it on the street and there was no car. So I just walked in the house and said to Nina, you know, our cars been stolen. And she was like what?, said Joel Haberli.

No, I think you said wheres our car?, said Nina Haberli.

More than 870,000 cars were stolen in 2020, but consumer reports says taking some small steps can make your car less of a target.

Simply having a light that turns on automatically if anyone approaches your garage can really be effective in scaring away potential thieves, said Jeff Bartlett consumer reports auto editor.

That also means finding a spot in a well-lit area when you park on the street. You may want to consider a security camera, or a well-positioned video doorbell.

Weve already installed one camera, said Nina Haberli.

The obvious tip does bear repeating. Remember to remove the key and lock the doors.

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Install A Tracking System

You may want to consider installing a tracking system, which can also be called a vehicle recovery system. When your car is stolen, this tracking system will use wireless and/or GPS technology to emit a signal to the police or a monitoring service of your vehicle’s location, says the NICB. This may help the police recover your vehicle faster.