January 15, 2017
7 Tips to Keeping Your Car Safe During the Winter Months
Out of concern for personal security and car theft, it’s not uncommon for car owners to take heed when parking their cars in an undesirable neighborhood, dark alleyway or even a parking garage. However, most of us don’t think twice about parking a vehicle in front of our own home and many would be shocked to find that stealing an automobile right out of someone’s driveway is shockingly, very common.
While many people have a garage, some folks have to park outside. As temperatures drop during the winter months, the caveat to parking outside means having to allow extra time for your vehicle to warm up. It’s widely practiced to warm up your car while you finish getting ready, but what seems to be an obvious decision is not always the best choice.
While some car thieves lurk in large parking garages or wait until the middle of the night to hotwire a car, some prefer help from the owner. Warming up our cars seems to be a harmless act, but leaving the keys in the ignition, the car unattended and unlocked is an open invitation for a thief to easily hop in your car and drive away.
So what can you do if you have to park outside? Follow these helpful car security tips from Security Systems of America and start protecting your vehicles from car theft.
- If you have a garage, use it. Most thieves would pass up your car for someone’s parked outside if yours was secured inside your garage.
- Invest in a remote car starter. Remote car starters allow you to start your car from a remote location while it remains locked. They are easily installed and fairly priced.
- Car security systems. The majority of cars today come with a basic security feature. Be sure to use it. Even if someone breaks into your car, they’ll be less likely to steal it with a blaring alarm going off.
- The “3 M’s”. Don’t leave personal items like mail, medication, or money openly visibly as this may encourage a thief to break in.
- Know the Make and Model of vehicles statistically most likely to be stolen. Per The National Insurance Crime Bureau, these Top Five cars and trucks most often stolen,
- often stolen,
- Honda Accord
- Honda Civic
- Ford Pickup
- Chevy Pickup
- Toyota Camry
- It’s not always the result of the cooler months. Just as we want to get into a toasty car when its -5° below, we also want to get into a cooler car when it’s 95F°. Be cautious year-round.
- “I’m just running into the gas station for gum, it’ll take 2 minutes”. It takes 10 seconds to steal a car and it takes 2 seconds to take the keys out of the ignition. Turn your car off when you get out of it!
Be smart. A car is stolen every 43 seconds in the U.S., don’t be a victim to car theft. Don’t leave your keys in the ignition and always be aware of the personal belongings you leave car.
Founded in 1972, SSA has been offering security products and services for 4 decades. Check our A+ Better Business Bureau rating. We are also locally owned and operated.
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