There is always a sense of double-checking the car locks and windows every time you leave your car in the parking lot. This is an automatic response to the stimulus of owning the car in the first place. It’s an unavoidable feeling which is because we all love our vehicles dearly and hence cannot imagine the slightest harm to its being.
Following are some tips that will ensure your vehicle’s safety in the parking lot:
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Vehicle Placement
- Select a parking space, one that is under surveillance. It not only sends a warning sign of continuous inspection for the crooks out there but also assures your car’s recovery in case of any mishaps.
- Go for parking between existing vehicles. There is always a lowered chance of theft when it comes to a busy space, one that is involved in the continuous movement of man and machine.
- Even when you’re parking indoors, select secure garages. If the option is unavailable, then choose the well-illuminated space and not a dark or secluded spot that promptly calls for natural theft-attractions.
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Visibility
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Protected Appearance
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Car Alarms
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VIN Etching
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Car Safety Devices
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Car Tracking Systems
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Car Immobilizers
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Steering wheel lock
The correct parking spot of your car is as significant as the process of parking it correctly. When it comes to car-thefts or related crimes, there is always an isolated spot that becomes the prime target. The reason is obvious – the less crowded space is, lesser will be the chances for the criminal to get caught in action.
Wherever it is, that you’re parking your car, whether outside a convention center, grocery store, airport or your residence- take heed to select the parking space running the following few points in mind:
After having secured a relatively safe parking spot, the next point on the checklist would be to avoid voluntary theft-invitations.
Not all car robberies are ‘car’ robberies. Sometimes there can be an item(s) in the car that might catch the thief’s attention. Avoid showcasing items like a laptop bag, a pile of clothes that seem to cover any valuable object, or anything as simple as a headphone set lying on the dashboard or your car seats that are visible to anyone from outside.
The intention to rob increases when there is a valuable item of interest involved.
Your car’s guarded appearance will speak for itself. Maintain this habit of double-checking for locked doors and windows even when you leave the car for half-a-minute. Avoid practices like leaving your car on, unguarded with the keys inside, as they are open grounds to car thefts. Even with incidences like filling gas at the station or running back to the store for receipt, do not ever leave your car running.
With well-equipped tools, car burglaries have become a swift action taking few seconds to completion, and to prevent that- you need to tighten your car security systems. After parking your car, make sure to check not only your car doors or the windows but the trunk lids and the sunroofs as well. You must ensure not leaving any open space for the thief outside to get in. As discussed before, your valuables should not be on display as an open invitation for theft. Hence, check again before leaving for any item left that would attract eye-balls to your car.
There are various anti-theft devices available that will work the motive involved.
Most modern vehicles today come with car alarms. These are warning alarms for any unusual activity that your car detects automatically. While hunting for targets in a parking lot or a crowded area, the one thing that burglars fear most is getting noticed. And what other than a siren going off to capture all the neighborhood’s attention!
This is a pocket-friendly step to lower your insurance costs, and also act as an indication of your car having protective anti-theft measures. Almost all cars today have their VIN etched on a few places in the car. In the UAE, you can locate it even on your registration card (mulkiya). Useful as a car parking safety measure, it is a unique vehicle ID, that can be etched (if absent or not visible completely) on the car’s windows and glass panes to secure as a warning against vehicle theft.
Following are some of the selections available with you to increase your car parking safety measure:
This car security system will help in locating your car if it gets stolen. With pre-installed transmitters either in the form of a GPS or VHF tracking devices, it will help in providing the exact location of your vehicle even if it is hidden in the remotest or underground covers.
Although present in modern-day cars, you will need to check for the car immobilizer in your older models. If not present, then you can get it installed separately.
These are electronic devices installed in vehicles that prevent them from being stolen. This anti-theft device works by switching off the primary components that enable a vehicle’s movement, like the ignition and fuel system.
A definite representation of anti-theft car security preparedness, the steering wheel locks are devices that clamp those wheels together, thus restricting their movement.
Cars today mostly come with smart keys that operate on the installed microchips that detect signals within a fixed circumference from the car’s parked space. This access becomes difficult for the thieves to break in, taking into account their sensor proximity and unlock features.