Lock Doors to Prevent Car Theft
Our series on really obvious safety tips continues courtesy of H.E.A.T (Help Eliminate Auto Thefts). The Michigan-based, insurance company-funded organization wants you to know that fall is car theft season. In fact, October is "the second-highest month for auto-related crimes" (how months get high is anyone's guess). What's more, "thieves prefer the beginning and end of the school week, Monday and Friday, as favorite days to steal vehicles [and] favor vehicles that are black, gray and white." Sorry, I know, that's new information. Let's get to the good stuff: how to protect your cherished whip from clever car thieves. H.E.A.T. recommends you close your windows all the way, keep your valuables out of sight, never leave your vehicle running and unattended (a gentle jog with a friend is OK), install an alarm with a "visible flasher" (invisible flashers are useless), etch your VIN number on your windows (dealers love this) and install a hidden kill switch (to confound those pesky valet parkers). I'll start the bidding with: never park next to a vehicle resting on breeze blocks.
More by Robert Farago
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You could also serendipitously go outside for a smoke at around 2AM and see a meth addict cruising your street, stopping at your car. When he gets his tools out, you walk up to him and yell, "What the **** do you think you're doing?" When he twists around and sees your (my) 300-pound girth and 3-wood, he'll piss his pants and scurry back into his car and take off outta there.
@hansbos - did the car look like a POS, or was it just hell to own? I'd imagine that for the ideal effect, you'd need a car that looks like it won't get ten feet without stranding the thief. Bonus points if the car can't be started without some elaborate procedure.
Redbarchetta : This idea is that they won't be able to sell the parts to anyone else. The reality is those buying parts on the black market (ebay) don't care if it has someone else's vin on it.
One of my coworkers had her Mustang stolen early last week. She recoverd the car about a 1000 feet away in the same school parking lot where her car ran out of gas. Always drive on fumes was her answer.