Car security is an issue which affects all motorists. Various tips and tricks can help ensure your vehicle is as safe as possible, whether you’re parking it on the drive or on the street.
A recent poll of 2,079 UK car owners has revealed that one in five motorists don’t use any security precautions on their car, while 43 per cent don’t even pull the door handle to check that it’s locked.
The research, revealed by Halfords, also showed that 42 per cent of people leave car ownership documents in their car, and 43 per cent don’t attempt to hide their keys at home.
However, security expert Michael Fraser has presented some tips on how to make sure a car is a safe as possible – and ways to deter thieves from even attempting to access your vehicle.
Keep your car tidy
Making sure your car isn’t strewn with belongings is a sure-fire way of making your car less attractive to thieves. Remove valuables from the vehicle, and make sure that there’s nothing to catch the eye of passers-by.
It’s also a good idea to remove loose change from any cubbies or bins throughout the car, too.
Use dash cams with motion sensors
Dash cams have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years – and they’ve fallen in price too. Fitting one means you’ve got an eye on the car at all times, and most are activated by motion, too.
It means that should a thief approach your car and attempt to gain entry, the camera will spring into life and record anything that could happen.
Turn your wheels into the kerb
Turning a car’s wheels towards the kerb may sound like a recipe for damaged wheels, but it’s actually a simple and very effective way of stopping a thief. It means that should they access the car – and are able to start it, too – they’ll have to perform a manoeuvre in order to get away from the kerb.
It takes two seconds to do, but could slow down a thief’s escape considerably.
Don’t rely on factory-fitted systems
Though factory-fitted security systems are an initial line of defence for most vehicles, they’re sometimes not enough to stop intruders. Extra processes can make things even safer.
A wheel lock, for instance, provides an instant deterrent for thieves and proves to those looking inside the car that some extra protection has been fitted.
Keep your keys safe
Your car’s keys are easy to snatch in a break-in, and with new ‘keyless entry’ technology, easy to intercept signals from, too. To make things safer, it’s best to place them in an RFID wallet, which blocks the signals sent from the keys and prevents thieves from intercepting and using them to access a vehicle remotely.
Just make sure it’s locked
Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But just checking that your car is actually locked can make a difference. A quick pull of the handle could make all the difference – and it only takes a second, too.