Five Tips for Protecting Your Vehicle and the Things Inside It

Protect your car with the right insurance

There are a lot of reasons to protect your vehicle. A repair or a replacement can be expensive, but the things inside your car are just as important too.

If something expensive or important is stolen from your vehicle, your car insurance isn’t going to replace it, and just because you make a police report doesn’t mean the item will be recovered.

Protecting your vehicle means being careful about how you drive, but it also means doing the things on this list.

Keep Your Vehicle Locked at All Times

Car thieves are out there. Regular thieves are out there too. If you don’t want someone stealing your car or the things inside it, you should keep your vehicle locked at all times.

It may seem obvious that you should lock your car whenever you leave it parked, but you should also lock your car while you’re driving. It’s important if you have young children in the backseat because you never know if one of your littles is going to try and open the door.

However, it is also important to lock your doors because you never know who might get in. Carjackers, thieves, and criminals have been known to hop in a car when it’s stopped at a red light or stop sign.

Tuck Valuables out of Sight

Most thieves who are looking for a quick score won’t break into a car for no reason. However, if they see something they like through the window, they may be willing to break in to get it.

Tuck your valuables out of sight. Tips include:

  • Hiding items underneath the seats
  • Placing your purse in the corner of the trunk
  • Hide money and paper items underneath floor mats

If you have a hard time hiding your stuff out of sight, hide it in plain sight instead. For example, create a fake recycling box with egg cartons and boxes on the top, and hide your valuables at the bottom of the box.

That includes hiding electronic devices, like GPS devices, that may get left on your dashboard when you put your car in park.

Install an Anti-Theft System

Car alarms may be annoying, but they can be effective, which is why they continue to be installed in new vehicles. However, they aren’t foolproof, and if your car is in a remote location or it’s the middle of the night, a thief may break in even if your alarm is going off.

There are other anti-theft devices you can use on your vehicle to keep your car and your belongings safe. Just a few include things like:

  • Steering wheel locks
  • Tire locks
  • Baby monitors or dash cams
  • Vehicle tracking devices

Park Your Car in a Well-Lit Area at Night

Where you park your car can make a huge difference. It’s a lot easier for a thief to break into your car in a dark alley or parking lot. If it’s well lit, it’s less likely to be burglarized. Always park your car on a well-lit street or parking lot.

Busier areas are better too. For example, a parking lot full of vehicles is a better place to park than an empty side street, even if it means paying to the park. Most thieves will not try to break into a car when there are so many others around. Not to mention, with so many other cars, there’s a higher chance that a thief will target someone else’s vehicle instead of yours!

Hide Your Vehicle’s Title and Registration

Keeping your vehicle and your belongings safe and secure means making it difficult to steal your car or the things inside, but just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

There are a lot of things you shouldn’t leave in your vehicle for a variety of reasons. One of those things is your vehicle’s title.

If you own your car, don’t leave your title in the vehicle. Instead, tuck the document away at home. That way, if a thief gets ahold of your car, they can’t legally sell it.

Your registration should stay in your car, but you should hide it somewhere it can’t easily be found. That way, if the thief gets pulled over by a cop, they can’t provide your registration, which will raise red flags with the officer.

You have invested a lot of money in your vehicle and the items inside. Make sure you don’t have to worry about thieves with the tips on this list.

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