Vehicles are huge assets to your family. Especially in this day and age, having a car is an essential part of life in most suburban areas and neighborhoods. Believe it or not, car theft even occurs while your vehicle is parked in your very own driveway. According to the FBI, a car was stolen every 42.2 seconds in the United States in 2018.¹ Having your car broken into or stolen is not only an inconvenience, but frustrating when prevention is easy.
To lower the risk of criminal activity happening to your vehicle and protect the outside of your home, we put together a list of 5 affordable tips to keep in mind when leaving your car (even when it’s parked in your driveway!):
1. Never leave your car running
It might seem convenient and easy to just leave your car running while you run back into your house to grab something you forgot or to let it warm up on a cold winter morning. However, this is an easy criminal entry point.
2. Don’t leave spare keys (or any keys) in your car
That’s all. Try to avoid doing this at all costs. Criminals will feast on easy entry.
3. Close the windows and lock the doors
This seems self explanatory, but you might not realize how often you forget this detail when you’re in the comfort of your own neighborhood or driveway. Prevent criminal activity from happening to one of your most valuable assets, your vehicle, by double checking that your windows are closed before getting out and that your doors are locked before walking away.
4. Remove any valuables from your car
Don’t keep any valuables in your car, especially if they’re visible. If it’s necessary for the valuables to be there, make sure you hide them under a seat or cover them with a blanket or towel, so they are able to be seen.
5. Take a picture of your registration
Instead of leaving your registration and car identification documents in your car, snap a picture and save it on your phone instead. Try to avoid leaving important documents in your car in case of crime, where your address and identification are easily found.
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