There are some basic precautions you can take to try and safeguard your car every time you leave it unattended, no matter how briefly.
These include:
- Shutting the windows
- Close the sunroof
- Lock the doors
- Lock the boot
- Remove the key from the ignition
You should never leave valuables on display while parked or on the move, nor should you leave driving documents and vehicle registration details in your car.
Parking
When parking on the road, make sure the car is parked on a well-lit busy street, in full view of passers by.
If you need to use a car park, try to find one with the police-approved Safer Parking scheme, which displays the Park Mark logo. Visit the Saferparking website to locate Park Mark car parks near you. Failing this, look for one that has attendants and is patrolled.
When parking at home, use your garage if you have one and remember to lock your car and the garage door.
Once you've parked, use an immobiliser to prevent the car from being driven away (newer cars are very likely to have one already fitted, as the Government made this compulsory in 1998).
Additional car security tips:
- Keep the doors locked while driving and hide anything of value to prevent opportunist thieves from taking advantage of traffic jams or red lights.
- If a thief attempts to steal your car while you're in it, use the horn and car lights to attract attention.
- Don't attract opportunist thieves by displaying your keys in view. When at home, avoid leaving keys near the letterbox or on a shelf in the hall where a rod and hook could fish them out.
- More high-tech thieves may try to use relay theft techniques to steal your car, so in addition to keeping car keys away from doors and windows, consider placing them in a metal container that can stop the key's signal from reaching thieves.
- You could also buy a Faraday pouch, which is designed to block these types of signals. Just make sure you have enough space for all your spare keys!
