Winter car theft is a growing problem Last year there were over 114,000 motor vehicle theft crimes reported which was a nine-year high for this type of crime.*
In just three weeks, the clocks move back and the days become shorter. Darker evenings can be primetime for car thieves as victims sit snuggly at home whilst thieves work under the anonymity of dark evenings.
There are several things that you can do to prevent winter car theft. Some of these things are common sense whilst others require planning and positive action. When protecting your car from thieves, deterrent is the most powerful tool you have at your disposal. If deterrent hasn’t worked, then the ability to find your car once stolen is, of course, of paramount importance.
Our top tips for deterring thieves are:
Park under street lighting – this will make your car less attractive to a potential car thief. They are less likely to choose a vehicle that is permanently lit up, rather than one sitting in darkness.
Lock your doors – this sounds so obvious, but this is how opportunists work. They’ll simply walk up and down a street checking to see if a car door is unlocked. And how many of us can honestly say that we haven’t forgotten to lock our car door at one time or another?
Don’t leave your car running on frosty mornings – so many of us leave our car to defrost on a cold morning whilst we pop back into the house. Do not do this! Your key is in the ignition, the car engine is running and the car is ripe for taking. If you are defrosting your car with the engine running – stay with your car.
Leave nothing in sight – thieves are attracted to bags, envelopes, leads (which indicate that technology is close by) money or even sweets left on a seat. Make sure that you leave nothing on display in your car. It makes for easy pickings.
With the best will in the world, you won’t always be able to deter car theft. That’s why there are many technological accessories such as car alarm, immobilisers and trackers available that will help stop the theft of, or locate your car, if it is stolen.
Installing a car alarm – a car alarm will alert, rather, screamingly alert, those nearby that a car is being tampered with. An alarm won’t stop the car or anything within it from actually being stolen, but if someone does try to break into it, an alarm is quite likely to very quickly put a stop to them.
Installing an immobiliser – an immobiliser will stop a car from being stolen by someone who doesn’t have the proper key, hence the name. During the last 10 years, all new cars & vans are fitted with immobilisers, but many cars & vans manufactured before 2008 do not have them installed. There is a range of car immobilisers on the market and the best one for your car or van is determined by the make, model, year of manufacture plus how tech savvy you are.
Installing a tracking system – tracking systems have become increasingly in demand during recent years. A tracking system will ensure that if stolen, your car can be tracked and retrieved. This benefits you as an owner in that you may a) have your vehicle returned or in a worst-case scenario, b) be able to find it for insurance purposes, no matter what state it is found in.
Protecting your car in the winter is not difficult. It just takes a little thought and proactive planning. We can never completely remove risk, but in doing your best to mitigate any risk of your car being stolen during winter months, you can achieve peace of mind, and often, a lower insurance premium.
If you would like any advice or to talk to our team with regards to winter security for your vehicle, call 01446 334 005 today or email sales@kits-n-bits.com. We supply and install vehicle safety accessories throughout the south Wales area and our mobile service means that our team will install in a location and time to suit you.
*https://www.statista.com/statistics/303551/motor-vehicle-theft-in-england-and-wales