In these tough financial times most folks need vacations more than ever. As well, they also want to save a lot of money. One economical solution is taking the family car and driving to and from your holiday destination instead of flying there.
If you are planning to drive, it may also make sense to take a few steps to protect yourself and family from auto thieves. Having a car thief steal your car, your luggage, other items of value in your trunk could really wreck what was supposed to be a fun filled and relaxing trip.
Even though you take all the numerous precautions to prevent auto theft when you travel, very determined professional car thieves can still take any vehicle if they want it badly enough. Do you remember the action movie Gone In 60 Seconds that starred Nicolas Cage? However, you still can really reduce the chances of becoming a victim of auto theft to near zero.
Almost all of these auto theft preventative measures are common sense and will cost nothing to do. So it may make a lot of sense to implement them not only when you travel by car on your holidays, but also in your every day driving.
Firstly, you should never take it for granted that you are immune from car thieves when traveling, or that your vehicle is not really worth stealing.
Keep in mind that thieves might be after more than your vehicle, luggage, or any valuables that might be inside your vehicle. They might only want an older car to take a joy ride in or for its parts.
They might also be after your vehicle documents for identity theft, or they could be contemplating robbing your residence while you are away on holidays. Where would they find this important information? From the auto registration and car insurance papers which are usually located conveniently in the vehicles glove compartment.
The best solution is to eliminate this possibly by keeping these documents on your person at all times when traveling on holidays.
The second best way to reduce this problem is to hide the documents really well in the trunk. Some police forces in cities that have a high incidence of auto thefts recommend doing this. Just remember to tell everyone who is traveling with you where these documents are squirreled away inside the trunk.
Here are some other ways you can lessen the odds of having your holidays disrupted by car thieves. If you can manage to implement a number of these suggestions, you will dramatically lessen the chances of being a victim of auto theft when you travel.
Make sure you always shut you cars windows tightly and lock your car on every occasion you leave it parked, even if it is only for a minute or two.
A real invitation to lose your vehicle is to leave it idling while unattended. Under no circumstance should you ever do this. Dont even think about it.
Similarly, dont leave your vehicles keys in the ignition or hidden anywhere in car. That includes a second set of keys. Car thieves will easily find any keys hidden in the usual places very quickly. Keep an extra set of keys with you.
Do not leave any thing of value in your vehicle, even if they cant be seen from the outside of your car. If you can, take them with you.
However, if you have no choice and have to leave valuables in your vehicle, make sure that they are locked in your trunk. When you do this, look around and make sure that no one is watching what youre doing, or better still stop, pull over, and put them in your trunk before you arrive at your destination. Prying eyes may be anywhere.
When parking your vehicle in public areas, turn you front wheels either to the left or right before turning your ignition off. This will engage the steering wheel locking mechanism in the steering column which can make your car a little more difficult to steal.
By engaging the emergency brake after you have parked and turned the motor off, you may also make your vehicle harder to tow away.
For front wheel and rear wheel drive vehicles you should park them a bit differently when in underground parking. Front wheel drive cars should be parked nose in and rear wheel drive ones, nose out. Then turn your tires to the right or left. Again, this may make your auto harder to tow away.
Its always best to park in an attendant controlled parking lot rather than an unattended one. If it is a place where there is valet parking, only give the attendant your door and ignition key. They dont need any of the other keys on your key chain.
In public areas near dusk and at night, always park in well lit places that have a lot of pedestrian traffic. Keep in mind that most auto thieves work at night.
Try to avoid parking near or next to any obstruction, such as a fence, hedge, large truck, or anything that blocks a clear view of your vehicle to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
When you are staying in a place that has gated, secure parking, be sure that the gate has completely closed after entering or leaving so that a thief doesnt sneak in to the parking area behind your vehicle.
If you observe any suspicious activity like a person or group of people milling around or near your vehicle you should call the police.
Here are a number of anti-theft devices that can be installed for maximum protection. You might have a few of these products already installed in your vehicle.
You can use an easily visible after-market steering wheel lock bar. Most car thieves will likely move on to easier prey/greener pastures. Other less visible after-market products are gas pedal locks, brake pedal locks, or armored collars that fit around the steering column which protects the ignition. For the manual shift vehicles you can also use after-market shifter locks. These items are effective but not as highly visible to prying eyes.
Another thing that you can do is get your mechanic to install a hood lock that will prevent easy access to your vehicles battery as well as its security system.
A loud vehicle alarm system and a highly visible alarm sticker on your windshield can be worth its weight in gold when combined with the addition of a number of other anti-theft security options.
The best vehicle protection is a passive electronic immobilizer which automatically disables the motor when the ignition is turned off. Its not an inexpensive device to install but it is well worth it for your peace of mind. There are a few other benefits you could receive by installing an electronic immobilizer in your vehicle. Some auto insurance companies may offer a discount on your policy if you can confirm that youve had one installed. You also may get more money for your vehicle if you sell it down the road.
Last, but not least, you should make sure you have enough insurance coverage on your vehicle including theft and damage before you travel on vacation.
If you are planning to drive, it may also make sense to take a few steps to protect yourself and family from auto thieves. Having a car thief steal your car, your luggage, other items of value in your trunk could really wreck what was supposed to be a fun filled and relaxing trip.
Even though you take all the numerous precautions to prevent auto theft when you travel, very determined professional car thieves can still take any vehicle if they want it badly enough. Do you remember the action movie Gone In 60 Seconds that starred Nicolas Cage? However, you still can really reduce the chances of becoming a victim of auto theft to near zero.
Almost all of these auto theft preventative measures are common sense and will cost nothing to do. So it may make a lot of sense to implement them not only when you travel by car on your holidays, but also in your every day driving.
Firstly, you should never take it for granted that you are immune from car thieves when traveling, or that your vehicle is not really worth stealing.
Keep in mind that thieves might be after more than your vehicle, luggage, or any valuables that might be inside your vehicle. They might only want an older car to take a joy ride in or for its parts.
They might also be after your vehicle documents for identity theft, or they could be contemplating robbing your residence while you are away on holidays. Where would they find this important information? From the auto registration and car insurance papers which are usually located conveniently in the vehicles glove compartment.
The best solution is to eliminate this possibly by keeping these documents on your person at all times when traveling on holidays.
The second best way to reduce this problem is to hide the documents really well in the trunk. Some police forces in cities that have a high incidence of auto thefts recommend doing this. Just remember to tell everyone who is traveling with you where these documents are squirreled away inside the trunk.
Here are some other ways you can lessen the odds of having your holidays disrupted by car thieves. If you can manage to implement a number of these suggestions, you will dramatically lessen the chances of being a victim of auto theft when you travel.
Make sure you always shut you cars windows tightly and lock your car on every occasion you leave it parked, even if it is only for a minute or two.
A real invitation to lose your vehicle is to leave it idling while unattended. Under no circumstance should you ever do this. Dont even think about it.
Similarly, dont leave your vehicles keys in the ignition or hidden anywhere in car. That includes a second set of keys. Car thieves will easily find any keys hidden in the usual places very quickly. Keep an extra set of keys with you.
Do not leave any thing of value in your vehicle, even if they cant be seen from the outside of your car. If you can, take them with you.
However, if you have no choice and have to leave valuables in your vehicle, make sure that they are locked in your trunk. When you do this, look around and make sure that no one is watching what youre doing, or better still stop, pull over, and put them in your trunk before you arrive at your destination. Prying eyes may be anywhere.
When parking your vehicle in public areas, turn you front wheels either to the left or right before turning your ignition off. This will engage the steering wheel locking mechanism in the steering column which can make your car a little more difficult to steal.
By engaging the emergency brake after you have parked and turned the motor off, you may also make your vehicle harder to tow away.
For front wheel and rear wheel drive vehicles you should park them a bit differently when in underground parking. Front wheel drive cars should be parked nose in and rear wheel drive ones, nose out. Then turn your tires to the right or left. Again, this may make your auto harder to tow away.
Its always best to park in an attendant controlled parking lot rather than an unattended one. If it is a place where there is valet parking, only give the attendant your door and ignition key. They dont need any of the other keys on your key chain.
In public areas near dusk and at night, always park in well lit places that have a lot of pedestrian traffic. Keep in mind that most auto thieves work at night.
Try to avoid parking near or next to any obstruction, such as a fence, hedge, large truck, or anything that blocks a clear view of your vehicle to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
When you are staying in a place that has gated, secure parking, be sure that the gate has completely closed after entering or leaving so that a thief doesnt sneak in to the parking area behind your vehicle.
If you observe any suspicious activity like a person or group of people milling around or near your vehicle you should call the police.
Here are a number of anti-theft devices that can be installed for maximum protection. You might have a few of these products already installed in your vehicle.
You can use an easily visible after-market steering wheel lock bar. Most car thieves will likely move on to easier prey/greener pastures. Other less visible after-market products are gas pedal locks, brake pedal locks, or armored collars that fit around the steering column which protects the ignition. For the manual shift vehicles you can also use after-market shifter locks. These items are effective but not as highly visible to prying eyes.
Another thing that you can do is get your mechanic to install a hood lock that will prevent easy access to your vehicles battery as well as its security system.
A loud vehicle alarm system and a highly visible alarm sticker on your windshield can be worth its weight in gold when combined with the addition of a number of other anti-theft security options.
The best vehicle protection is a passive electronic immobilizer which automatically disables the motor when the ignition is turned off. Its not an inexpensive device to install but it is well worth it for your peace of mind. There are a few other benefits you could receive by installing an electronic immobilizer in your vehicle. Some auto insurance companies may offer a discount on your policy if you can confirm that youve had one installed. You also may get more money for your vehicle if you sell it down the road.
Last, but not least, you should make sure you have enough insurance coverage on your vehicle including theft and damage before you travel on vacation.
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