The number of stolen cars is decreasing every year as the vehicle industry focuses on vehicle security. Vehicles stolen in the United Kingdom dropped by % 12 last year with only 360.000 reported vehicle thefts. The automobile market has taken significant steps recently to reduce vehicle robberies, using electronic alarm systems and sophisticated security software in vehicles, which makes it harder and harder for criminals to break into and steal cars. The older cars still continue to be more vulnerable to theft because they are not equipped with the modern security measures included in the latest vehicles such as Tesla, BMW and Mercedes models.
There are usually two types of car theft; short-term use or profiting. Authorities state that all vehicles which are recovered quickly after a theft are short-term use cases. Profit-oriented robberies are described as cars stolen to sell and make money. Any vehicles stolen and never retrieved are classified as ‘for profit’ thefts. Short term theft category includes vehicles which are recovered after theft. Despite the condition of the vehicle, cars which may have been stolen for profit, but found later stripped also fall into this category.
There are several steps you can take to prevent getting your car stolen. For starters, when you park your car, pick a spot with close proximity to light for added safety. Even during the daytime, if your car will be stationary for an extended period of time, you should pick a secure spot with proper lighting around. The spot will be lit up at night which makes it risky for thieves to try and steal your car. When you park your car for the night in your driveway or garage, make sure to lock the windows and doors to prevent your vehicle from getting stolen. This seems like a basic thing to do, but everyone knows how easy it is to get arrogant about your door locks.
Don’t leave the doors or windows open: Even though it makes the first few moments you enter your car unpleasantly, try to resist the temptation to leave windows open during the summer season. If you have kids or there’s a teen new driver as part of your family, pass this valuable information about car theft avoidance suggestion to them. Teens can be careless most of the time.
Don’t leave your smartphone or shiny valuable items in a visible spot in your car: Thieves are like fish, shiny things get their attention. When leaving your car, you should take your valuable items with you. If you are unable to, be sure they are stored in a place that is out of sight such as the console or trunk.
Nearly half of the vehicle thefts can be avoided easily. If the vehicle owners take necessary precautions like closing and locking the doors or turning off the car before leaving it unsupervised, theft rates would go down significantly. We’ve all started out our car on the freezing weekday morning hours, then made the mistake of going back in the house to get a cup of hot tea. Over 20% of all car robberies happen within close proximity to your home. Leaving a car with keys in the ignition only encourages thieves. It is also against the law in many countries around the world to leave a car running. If you’re not in the driver’s seat, make sure to turn off your engine take your keys with you.
Do yourself a favour and get a Rewire Security vehicle tracking device. Our basic models provide real-time location of your vehicle, while our advanced GPS trackers offer more sophisticated features like remote immobilisation and sound alarms. GPSLive tracking platform can be used to remotely block your vehicle’s ignition, which makes it decelerate slowly to stop the car and prevent restarting the engine without your authorisation.
Taking the necessary precautions to prevent vehicle theft is the smart thing to do. But even after taking these precautions, your vehicle may be stolen but you can use GPSLive tracking software to locate your vehicle and report the location of your vehicle to UK Police for a quick recovery.
