Simple Tips to Avoid Auto Theft
Once upon a time, when I was in college, I went to the theatre in our local mall to see a movie. (If memory serves, the movie was the John Travolta/Halle Berry/Hugh Jackman hacker film Swordfish.) As I was leaving, I remembered that I had some clothes to return, so hurried to my car to fetch my merchandise. Now, I went to college in North Dakota (Where?!), and it wasn’t at all uncommon for a person to leave their keys in the ignition of their unlocked car. For one whole year, I simply slipped my ignition key off the rest of the keyring and just left it there for safe keeping.
So when I arrived to where I thought I’d parked my car, to my shocked surprise, my car was gone. This is because I hadn’t followed some simple tips to avoid auto theft, which we at Avondale Nissan are happy to share to prevent you from meeting a similar fate.
1) Use Common Sense, Man. Leaving your door unlocked with the keys in it? About as stupid a thing as you can do. For many auto thieves, the first line of defense is the only one they even consider. So lock your doors, take your keys, and roll up your windows. Short of putting a sign on your car that says, “Please steal me,” avoiding these obvious theft-prevention steps is about as basic as it gets.
2) Get Inside the Mind of the Enemy. Remember my bag of clothes that I left in plain sight (in a bag saying The Buckle, no less)? Thieves know to look for vehicles that have visible valuables, electronics or financial information, so stow these items in a trunk or out of sight. They also look for vehicles that are parked in a poorly-lit, remote location. Oh, and you know those magnetic key holders that people put behind their license plates or in their wheel-wells? Thieves know all about those too.
3) Play the Prevent Defense. The best way to dissuade a potential thief is to make your car look like it’s more trouble than it’s worth. Arm your security system, and don’t be afraid to use a steering wheel debilitator or gear-shift lock. Some thieves are even content to just make off with what you have under the hood; for this, hood-locks are available.
Believe me, there isn’t any feeling more sinking than returning to your car to find it missing–even if it turned out to be just a college buddy pulling an immature prank. Follow the necessary precautions to ensure that your car stays safe and secure this summer. And, from all of your friends at Avondale Nissan, safe travels this summer!
