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Every day almost 100 vehicles disappear in Spain. Many recover; others are cut up for the sale of spare parts or leave the country to be acquired by new drivers, in both cases, illegally. In addition to the anti-theft systems, there are a series of simple and free tips that you can put into practice to prevent your car from being stolen.
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1. Don’t make it easy for them
If someone has had their eye on your car and is going to try to steal it, the best thing you can do is make things difficult for them.
There are several ways to make life difficult for thieves.
- The first is to try not to park in dark and secluded places where they will have more time and privacy to do their work. Obviously it is not the same to try to steal a car in a vacant lot where no one can pass for hours, than in the parking lot of a shopping center.
- The second recommendation is to try to park in line. In this way, the thief will be much more exposed to the view of other drivers (on the side of the road) and passers-by (on the sidewalk).
- The third: do not leave the wheels straight. If there is space ahead, the thieves can try to take the car mounted on a tow truck, for which they will try to push it. This will be very difficult for them if the wheels are turned to the side of the pavement and, as they move forward, they hit the curb.
- One more: before leaving, check that everything is well closed, including the windows
2. Avoid temptations
Do not leave anything of value in sight.
If you are going to leave the car parked for a long time, it is worth giving the thieves the message that there is nothing of value inside. You can leave the glove boxes open so they can see they are empty.
3. Be wary of the ‘good samaritans’
It is a pity to have to give this recommendation but if, while driving on a road, another driver tells you that you have a flat tire, it could be for two reasons: either he is telling you the truth or he is deceiving you.
Warning drivers that they have a problem with the car so that they stop, get out of the vehicle and check the situation is a tactic widely used by thieves who take advantage of that moment of confusion to take it away.
If a driver gives you an alert, thank them and continue driving to a place where you can safely stop and check if the warning was real or an attempted robbery.
4. Old-fashioned
In busy places it is better not to use the remote and lock and unlock the car with the key.
Thieves who use the latest technologies have devices capable of copying the frequency emitted by the control from several meters away; in this way, later, they replicate the remote control and access the vehicle without problems.
There are also those that inhibit the frequency of the remote control and even if you think you have locked the car, what they have done remotely is that the vehicle remains open for them.
5. Don’t brag on social media
You have bought the car you have always dreamed of and for which you have been saving (a lot) for a long time. Now what you want is to shout it from the rooftops. This, today is, tell it on Twitter and post many photos on Instagram.
The problem is that in addition to many likes (and some haters) your photos can reach thieves who are looking for a car just like the one you just bought. If you are also a regular user of social networks, you will give them clues as to where you live, work or when you are away from home, which will make it easier for them to locate the vehicle.