Have you ever felt nervous parking your car in a public place that you are not familiar with? Well, worrying about your car when you park it in a public area is a very reasonable thing, especially if the place doesn’t seem friendly. You have perhaps left your vehicle on a public street and found it vandalized. At worst, you might lose your car.
Even though parking in public spaces comes with its challenges and may cause nightmare to many drivers, it still popular in urban centers. Lots of drivers have no choice but to park their car in some opened area, which exposes to damage, vandalism, or even theft. Parking at a public place is one of the most underestimated safety hazards for your vehicles.
Here are some measures of safety precautions when you have to park your car at a public place.
Choose your spot wisely
Park your car in well-lit spaces instead of in isolated or dark places to avoid vandals or car robbers to target and take advantages of the situation. Other than that, pay attention to your surroundings, not only on finding a parking spot, but also for other conditions such as, are there any other vehicles passing by, or are there plenty of pedestrian walking by. The more open and lit the space you park, the better.
Other than that, also avoid parking your car between trucks, SUVs or big vans, where it might be a possible area for muggers might hide.
Don’t leave valuables in the car
Leaving valuable items such as handphones, cameras, and laptops will attract unwanted attention. The ideal situation is not to leave any important belongings in the car. However, that’s not always the case, and sometimes it’s too inconveniencing to carry your laptop everywhere. In that case, don’t leave them out in the open. Hide them under your seat or cover them with anything so they are out of sight.
Secure your vehicle
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) claimes that more than 40% of car thefts happen due to the carelessness of drivers on leaving the vehicle doors unlocked or leaving the windows opened. This perhaps seems obvious, but do not forget to make sure that your vehicle is secured before you left it. Therefore, keep in mind of some of these points to keep your car safe:
- Roll up your car’s windscreen, or sunroof if there is any
- Make sure to lock all the doors
- Check and make sure that the trunk lid is closed
- Hide any items that displaying your personal information, including paperwork, delivery packages, etc.
- Never leave your car key inside the car
- Don’t leave your car when it’s running
Use an anti-theft device
Locking your car’s doors is sometimes not enough to keep it safe. Therefore, considering to implement anti-theft devices will give you peace of mind by protecting your vehicle from a non-authorized user. There are various types of anti-theft devices, and you have to choose what is right for you.
Car alarm
No vandals or thieves will dare to steal a car when it makes noise. Car alarms are designed to emit a clamorous noise when that car is tampered with. If there are any potential intruders, for example, when a window is broken, or unauthorized entry, the alarm will sound.
Go to Amazon.com and search for car alarms to see what options you have. You can buy them for around $20 for the cheapest one. While the more expensive one would be at the $200 – $300 mark.
Kill switch
‘Kill switch’ is a device that will immobilize the movement of your vehicle by disabling its electrical system. This device does not require to be installed to make it work. Kill switch can be mounted under your car’s seat or any other hiding spot. However, be sure to put it in a place that won’t be founded by thieves.
This Kill Switch from Amazon has a GPS tracker and it has the ability to kill the engine of your car.
Tire lock and steering wheel locks
These devices should be locked onto your tire’s car or your steering wheel to prevent the vehicle from being moved. They must be removed before you can drive you can. Otherwise, the car can’t be driven.
