No one wakes up in the morning saying to themselves, “Today is the day that I’m going to be robbed.” Yet with a vehicle being stolen somewhere every 45 seconds in the United States, according to estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this is precisely the kind of bad news that people experience on a daily basis.
Each year, more than $1.2 billion in personal items are stolen from automobiles, based on data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Frequently, this occurs as a result of motorists being lulled into a fall sense of security, keeping various belongings inside their cars in plain sight, not expecting that they’ll be victimized.
With this being Vehicle Theft Protection Month, here are a few ways you can avoid being taken advantage of by roving motor vehicle marauders:
Keep items out of sight
It sounds obvious, but if you want to keep thieves out of your vehicle, then the best thing to do is avoid leaving anything inside that they might want to get their hands on. Expensive valuables and sensitive property like your wallet is best kept at home or on your person. However, if you’re in a high crime area – or any other location where there are a lot of people – and need to keep said items in your car, make sure that they’re not in plain sight. Hide them under the seat or in the trunk.
Lock the doors
Before you leave your car, make sure that you lock all the doors. It’s a good idea to check each of them as well just to ensure that they’re all sufficiently fastened.
Buy car with alarm system
Of course, you can always buy a vehicle security system, but at many dealerships today, alarm systems come standard on both all-new and used cars. In fact, you may have tripped your alarm system mistakenly in the past. Though doing this may be inconvenient at the time, having an alarm can be your saving grace if you’re ever preyed upon by a thief.
Close windows all the way
Even on those especially hot days, it’s best to close your windows completely, especially if your car doors have locks that are within arm’s reach. Something as ordinary as a coat hanger is all a criminal needs to open up your car and invade your privacy when windows are opened even partially.
A comprehensive auto insurance policy can help make you whole again if your vehicle is stolen. However, if items within your vehicle are taken, it might be your homeowners insurance policy that covers you. To find out more about the differences between property that each policy provides for, speak with RC4 Insurance Agency LLC today.
Article From Selective Insurance Company
