2 Things People Unknowingly Do That Invite Car Thieves
I certainly can not be the only person who does this. It’s probably the stupidest thing you can do regarding car theft, but it’s done every day with our cars in New Jersey. I do it every day. If you haven’t figured it out yet I’ll share in a moment (or you can scroll down to my a-ha moment).
According to the Insurance Information Institute, over 10,000 people are victims of car theft in New Jersey each year. However, according to Consumer Reports, there are some extremely effective precautions we can take to help prevent auto theft.
Park in a Well-Lit Area
Car thieves are more likely to target cars in dark or remote areas. If you park in your driveway or garage, install automatic lighting which will help to scare off potential thieves.
Use An Anti-Theft Device
If your vehicle doesn’t have an anti-theft device, have one installed. It could pay for itself by saving you on insurance, and the cost and aggravation of having your car disappear. Even if you get a simple steering wheel lock, they do work. It may not be difficult for a thief to cut through it, but they’re more likely to move on to another victim.
Kill Switch
I had an old piece of junk 86’ Buick Regal decades ago, not anything you’d think had any type of anti-theft devices. Instead of an alarm, I had a “kill switch” installed. It was easy to break into and that simple toggle switch prevented my car from being stolen four or five times. It’s an on/off switch located under the dashboard. When it’s in the off position, it cuts off power from the battery preventing anyone from starting the car. It made it appear as if the battery was dead and the thieves moved on.
Don’t Make This Mistake
Here’s something I’d been doing this for years and only stopped when a neighbor’s car was stolen. Don’t leave your key or key fob in your car. It is so much more convenient, but it also makes it simple for crooks to drive off with your car (and everything in it) in a matter of seconds. Because the car doesn’t lock with the fob inside, it just takes a simple pull of the handle to open the door. If the fob is in the car then it can take a car thief less than 5 seconds to get in and drive off.
My Stupid A-Ha Moment
Here’s another safety tip worth mentioning. Many don’t think of this and I didn’t realize the danger until recently. Be careful if you have a garage and keep the garage opener in your car. If you always park in the garage then this is not a concern.
However, we enter and exit through our garage and we keep openers in all of our cars. Since one car is always parked on the street, anyone who breaks into our car has immediate access to our house.
If you’re like us and sometimes forget to lock the car, then anyone can enter your house as easily as you do. I feel it would be a good idea to have a keypad on the remote that’s kept in the car.
Surprisingly There Are Only 3 New Cars Under $20K Or Less
