A car purchase is always accompanied by a lot of responsibility that has to be fulfilled by the owner. We have already talked about the summer repair and maintenance tips that one needs to follow but there are a lot of other things that have to be considered. One of these is the issue of car theft that is rising at a fast pace in the country. As a result, you need to be careful that your car holds enough facilities so as to offer protection against theft. Moreover, there are some other techniques that you can apply on your own.

Here we are going to discuss about car theft and the various ways through which you can come up with some preventive measures at your own level. Basically you can try not to make it easy for the thieves to steal your car. Let’s get started with the list of some sure-shot tips to protect your car against theft.

Statistics

Undoubtedly, India is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. Almost everyday a new car comes up for launch and people buy them at a large scale. In such a situation, the rate of theft has also gone up. Recently in 2015, car theft was found to be on the top slot in the chart of crimes in New Delhi.

Protect your Car Against Theft

Since we are talking about car theft it makes sense to include some valuable data that has been collected recently so as to get a clear picture of the situation.

As per a recent report in Hindustan Times, it was found that a total of 70 vehicles are stolen on a daily basis in the country’s capital. In order to tackle this situation, the city had to set up a virtual police station on April 17 and within just 18 days of its establishment it registered 1200 cases.

Types of Car Theft

Car theft is an offence whereby the criminal steals or makes attempt to steal a car from the owner by force or otherwise. It may appear to be a simple issue but there are various kinds of thefts that depend upon the method which is utilised while doing the crime.

The following list talks about some major types of car/vehicle theft:

Unattended vehicle:

It is referred to a situation whereby the culprit removes the vehicle while it is left unattended in a parking space by breaking into it with the help of some tampering techniques.

Theft with Keys Access:

This kind of theft takes place when the driver provided access of the car to the driver for handling it but he uses it in an unauthorised way. It also applies to a situation when you leave the car keys in the glovebox and the criminal breaks into it and rides it away.

Opportunistic theft:

when the owner of the vehicle leaves the keys visibly inside the car and someone takes the opportunity and takes it away. This usually happens in the case of test drives when the car is stolen while that person is out for testing it.

Carjacking:

Carjacking is the most serious kind of automobile theft in which assault can also take place. The criminal could force the operator/driver to move out of the vehicle and drive it away. Sometimes, the thief may even ask the driver to remain in the vehicle as hostage. It’s similar to a hijack situation and hence this situation could lead to some fatal consequences.

Fraudulent Theft:

This term is used for that kind of theft in which a person illegally acquires a vehicle from the seller through fraudulent transfer of money. Often the vehicles stolen through this method are resold very quickly and hence it is hard to detect the crime or to recover the robbed vehicle.

Read Also - Modern Safety Technologies Equipped in Cars

DIY Ways

Nowadays there are endless number of safety features like engine immobilizer and anti-theft alarm which provide maximum protection to your car. However, the thieves have become smarter than you can even imagine.

  • Check if the car is locked:

    Even though most of the cars come with the central locking feature installed in them, still you need to double check that all the doors are properly locked. When you press the switch on your key fob, make sure that you hear the clunky sound or see the visual sign.

  • Where to park:

    If you are sitting in a restaurant then park your car at a spot which is visible from your table. In other situations, you must choose a parking space which is next to a residential building in a crowded area. Besides, the location should be near a street light or a well lit area so that the thieves don’t get a chance to do any mischief in the dark hours of the night.

  • How to park:

    When a thief steals something he has a limited time to get away with the crime and hence in case of a car, he would want to run away quickly with the vehicle. So, whenever you park your car, do it in a way that the wheels are turned towards some obstruction. In such a case, it will take more time for the thief to drive the car away.

  • Don’t put our valuables inside a parked car:

    Never leave your valuables or important documents in a car such that it is visible from outside. If someone notices any precious belongings on the car seat, he/she would try to break the window in order to rob that thing.

  • Vehicle Registration Certificate:

    Usually people keep the registration certificate in the glovebox so that they can present it to the traffic cop whenever the need arises. However when you step out of the car, you can carry those documents with yourself. Even if the car gets stolen, you will still have the papers with you which you can present while claiming the insurance money.

  • Never leave your car unattended:

    It doesn’t matter for how long you step out of the car, never ever leave it unattended on the middle of the road. This will obviously invite unwanted visitors towards your vehicle and before you return, they would be gone along with your car.

  • Guard the number plate

    Not only your car is prone to theft but its number plate is also in an equal danger of being robbed. Often criminals may takeaway the license plate of your vehicle and then fix it on their own vehicles. And when they commit any crime, the CCTV footage will record the number plate and police will straight away come to you for the interrogation. So it is wise to protect your number plate from being robbed and even if it gets stolen then report it to the police immediately.

  • Keep the car keys safe

    Be careful where you keep the car keys so that no outsider has the access to them. If you want to avoid people from stealing your keys then apply some logic and keep them out of reach of strangers.

  • Vehicle Identification number

    A highly intelligent technique to save your car from being stolen is to get all its windows etched with the vehicle identification number. No robber would want to invest his money on replacing all the window glasses of the car and hence it is a convenient way of avoiding theft.

Safety Tools in Cars

  • Anti-theft Alarm

    Some cars are fitted with an anti-theft alarm and whenever anybody tries to unlock the doors, or break the window, or tries to start the car without keys, the alarm gets activated. Since the robber doesn’t want any attention, he is reluctant in taking any risk with a car which is installed with an alarm system. Sometimes the key fob kept in people’s pocket may get pushed accidentally and this may lead to a false alarm. But otherwise an alarm is a really effective way of making the people aware about any mishap.

  • Steering Wheel Lock Bar

    It is a lock bar that slides over the steering wheel and locks it in place so that when a thief tries to turn the wheel, the bar hits the door and doesn’t allow it to turn. The bar is made of hard metal and cannot be cut easily. It is quite easy to use and is also cost effective.

  • Kill Switch

    It works either on its own or along with an alarm system. When a thief tries to start the cat without any key, this switch cuts off the fuel supply to the car thereby preventing the criminal to ride the car away. It can be disengaged much like a car alarm with the help of a plastic key or an entry code.

  • Brake Lock

    It’s a lock that is attached onto the brake pedal and locked thereafter. This makes it impossible for anyone to apply the brakes until and unless that device is removed. The lock is made of hard metal that makes it difficult to be tampered. And obviously no thief would meddle with the brake itself because that would make the vehicle undriveable. Although it’s a cost effective method yet it might become a tiresome job for the owner to keep putting it on and off every time he/she gets inside or out of the car.

  • Tracking Device

    Some companies offer tracking devices that are installed in the cars and make use of GPS technology that helps in tracking the car in case of theft. It also involves in-car communication that can be availed after an accident whereby a representative from the company talks to you and provides emergency service in your location. If your car carries a tracking device, use a sticker for the same and it will sweep away the thieves because they won’t take the risk to deactivate it.

  • Engine Immobilizer

    It is a futuristic anti-theft setup which is present in almost all kinds of cars nowadays. When you insert the key into the ignition switch or press the button the key fob, a code is transmitted and the engine won’t start until this code in the transponder chip matches with that of the immobilizer. But since the transponder chip is integrated into the key or smart key fob, you need to be extra careful about it because if you lose the key or key fob, it would be a costly affair to get a new one.

Dealing with the Thieves

It’s really important to be aware of the kind of thieves you are dealing with. The degree to which a criminal is a threat to the society largely determines the intensity of a crime. Some are quite professional and aim at selling the parts of the car as soon as they steal it. While others are obsessed with the fast and performance oriented cars referred as joy riders. There is also another category called “bump and rob” which involves bumping the car from behind and then driving it away while the owner steps out to check the dents.

Usually one has to report a car theft case directly to the police but it’s always wise to be careful about any possible mishap and keep your eyes open. Don’t let the thief take away your belongings, however if he has a weapon with himself, you probably know what’s best for you.

Well this was our blog that talked about some tips that will help you in getting you an idea as to how can you protect your car against theft. What are your thoughts about this blog? Don’t forget to tell us about your valuable feedback in the comments section below. For the rest of the automobile stuff, stay tuned to SAGMart.