5 Ways to Deter Thieves from Breaking Into Your Car
We can't think of anybody who particularly wants their car to be broken into. Still, most people don't take the simple steps necessary to make smash-and-grab break-ins less likely. At Archer Volkswagen, we want to help you keep your VW safe. With this in mind, we've put together these five useful tips. While they're not a guaranteed way to stop every break-in, they can at least make your car a less tempting target for opportunistic thieves.
5. Keep Personal Items Out of Sight
When a thief steals something from a car, it's very often a crime of opportunity. The thief will walk along and see a cell phone, laptop, or purse sitting right on the front seat of a parked car. This will automatically make the thief interested, and will make a quick smash-and-grab much more likely. To avoid this, it's best to keep your things where unfriendly eyes can't see them. Make sure to take valuables with you, even if you're just making a quick stop. If you have larger items, keep them in the trunk. And, if you're driving an SUV that doesn't have a closed-off trunk, consider investing in a cargo area cover.
4. Invest in a Wheel Lock Kit
Thieves may not always be after what's inside your car. If your Volkswagen is decked out with upgraded wheels, those may be of particular interest to thieves. Removing the wheels can be a relatively quick job, and they fetch a pretty penny on the black market. To avoid this, it's a good idea to invest in a set of wheel locks. These locks consist of four special lugs that replace one lug nut on each of your wheels. They can only be removed by using a special key that comes with the wheel lock set.
3. Find a Safe Parking Spot
Where you park makes a huge difference. Ideally, you'd park in a personal garage at home and either a well-lit, well-trafficked area or a monitored parking garage when you're at work. However, things don't always work out that way. If you live in a home without a garage you can use, try to park near a light, or at least avoid alleyways and out-of-the-way spots. The same goes for daytime parking. Try to find a parking spot that's as visible as possible, and avoid unmonitored parking garages if you can.
2. Don't Leave Your Car Running
There are several situations where leaving your car running may seem more convenient. If we happen to have a chilly morning and you want to wait until your car warms up to get inside, it may make sense to turn it on and then go about your business until it's warm. If you're just running into a coffee shop to grab a quick cup of coffee, or if you forgot something at home and have to run back inside to get it, it may again seem fine to leave the car running. But a running car is a golden opportunity for a thief. Not only will they have access to everything inside the car, but they'll have a nice getaway vehicle, complete with the key. Turning off your vehicle may add a few seconds of time to your routine, but that's better than losing your car.
1. Lock Doors & Roll Up Windows
You'd be surprised at how many people leave their car doors unlocked when they park. Needless to say, this is a bad idea. There are some thieves who walk down a street, surreptitiously checking for unlocked cars. This makes theft easy even in broad daylight and in well-trafficked areas. After all, it may appear to most passers-by that the thief simply forgot something and is grabbing it from their own car.
In addition to locking the doors, make sure to close the windows and sunroof all the way. Don't even leave them open a centimeter! A cracked window makes a car much easier to break into.
