Have You Seen The Car Keys?

You decide to pick up pizza on your way home from work and the aroma drifting up from the box on the car floor is making you hungry. So you park in the driveway, grab the pizza, and rush to the house for dinner. A bit later, you take the empty box out to the trash and… “Hey, the car’s gone!”

Car theft can happen anywhere, but when it happens right in your own driveway it’s time to give some thought to home security beyond the front door. Even people with sophisticated home security systems neglect their cars, driveways and garages. And that’s like putting a sign on your car that says “Steal Me.”

First, never leave your car unlocked, whether it’s in your driveway, garage or parking lot. It takes only a second for a thief to check the ignition and try the door handle. Once he’s in, you’re out of luck. If your car is stolen, it will likely end up in a chop shop where it will be stripped and the parts sold. And if a thief has your car keys, there’s a good chance he also has keys to your house. Worried yet?

Even a locked car won’t stop a thief. Smash and grab theft is on the increase, with professional thieves and local punks looking for anything they can swipe and sell. Airbags and stereo equipment are particularly popular and easy to swap for cash. If possible, install a CD changer in the trunk as most smash and grab thieves won’t take the time to look there. In fact, never leave anything of value in plain sight. If you can’t put an item in the trunk, try to conceal it under a seat or hide it with another item. And don’t think a coat or blanket is always a foolproof cover – the homeless break into cars to steal them.

If you have a high-value or high theft rate vehicle, keep it in a garage if possible, and keep the garage door closed. The less a thief knows about you and what’s going on inside your garage, the better. And never leave the garage door open when you’re not home, even if you’re just driving to the market for milk and bread. It only takes a thief a minute to steal tools, equipment, bikes – even a ladder to enter through a second story window.

There are even thieves who have figured out how to open your garage door with their own remote device. If possible, especially if you are going away for an extended time and have activated your home security system, put a padlock through the holes on the garage door’s track to prevent it from opening.

Car theft can happen anywhere – but it can be scariest when it happens right in front of your home. An anti-theft device is a good investment if it’s in your budget. If not, always take a minute to take precautions, and lock it up.

No tags