You have your wheels and that bumpin’ system to get you on your road trips, daily grind, and everywhere else. You have leftover camping gear from that one weekend out with friends. Your trip to the hospital leaves you with insurance papers scattered about. You are constantly reminded of those bills you need to pay by the stubs left in your glove compartment. Sound familiar? Americans practically live in their cars. It’s only natural; we spend so much time in them it is second nature to want to make your car fit your lifestyle as much as possible. All of these things are taken for granted. You think that all you have is invaluable junk that no one will want until your identity is stolen; credit cards are being run up in your name, your stereo has been taken, you have an expensive window repair bill and worst of all you have to listen to the sounds of traffic as you travel with no camping equipment. Don’t let a car burglary happen to you.
Flash N’ Cash
If you have a flashy vehicle this will tell thieves that you might have something of value inside. They figure the more expensive the car looks the more goods you might have inside. The plus side to this is that if it looks new, it also will have increased security and alarm systems. Thieves might not be willing to break into a newer car because of the alarm system that comes as standard, but they will be willing to smash your window and grab what they see and be gone in a matter of seconds if they see something they want. Everybody wants a closer look at a Bentley, and this usually means that you have money. You might even have money in that Bentley and it might be worth it to investigate. No car window will stand up to a brick or hard object, so park close to where you are needing to make sure it’s in a high traffic area preferably with lots of witnesses. If you have to park on a street at night, park in a well-lit area and make sure that the police regularly drive down the road. Pack light; don’t keep anything in view that might give off a clue to a thief that you have valuables inside.
Hidden Gems
Docking stations, stereo faceplates, and phone chargers are all good indicators that you might have stashed that expensive iPhone in your glove box, or center console. Thieves decide in a second whether or not your car is worth breaking into, and seeing multiple cords, left out CDs or other items will get them excited for the thought that you might be hiding something inside. They say to remove clearly visible items and hide them out of sight. This is a good idea in theory but thieves know this and will look for hidden valuables if they have the time. The best foolproof method to escape this is to simply take items of value with you.
Burglarized?
Immediately call the authorities and give them your location, time of day, and what happened. Do not touch anything, but do a thorough look to see what was taken. If you have a clear list with model and serial numbers it can come in handy when someone tries to sell your prized stereo at a pawn shop. Since the reality is that not very many Americans keep a portable list of serial numbers on items they keep in their car a list of what was taken is still important. If nothing was taken but your window was still smashed out it is important to do the very same thing as before. It will help you in the long run with insurance and getting that window repaired. If you happen to suffer an unfortunate break-in you might be able to smile a little knowing that the burglar didn’t get anything of value. If you remember to keep your valuables out of your car then the chances of your car being broken into are very little. Don’t hang a neon sign above your car for thieves. Being smart will keep you safe and ready to enjoy wherever your car will take you.
