When you have things stolen from you it can feel like a major violation. That is because our belongings tend to be very personal to us, and often hard-earned as well. It can be very difficult when they disappear, particularly when it is something as large and essential as a car. Although Houston is a fairly nice place to live, it is a large city, which means it has plenty of issues of its own. Car theft is one of the major issues in the city. Over the past ten years or so, there are have been numerous news stories about car hackers, car theft rings and other issues. Houston car owners are left to wonder how they can prevent their cars from getting stolen. In this article we will be providing you with tips on how to do just that.
Know What The Top Stolen Vehicles Are In Houston
When it comes to prevention, one good place to start is to be familiar with what is stolen the most. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to determine since ABC 13 in Houston had a story in April about this. Generally speaking, if you own a truck – especially a Dodge, GMC, Chevy or Ford – you need to be very careful. However, during March 2017, when there were more than 600 vehicles stolen, they also included many:
- Toyota trucks
- Nissan cars
- Toyota cars
- Honda cars
- Chevy cars
Tips For Preventing Car Theft
Whether you own a high-risk vehicle or not, the following are some of the best preventative measures that you can take to help prevent the theft of your car:
Park it in your garage – Numerous car owners have garages, but they are full of others stuff instead of their cars. If you do have a garage, clean it out so that your SUV, truck or car can be stored in there like it should be. If you don’t own a garage, you might want to think about investing in one. Garages can be built or rented. Garages not only help to protect your vehicles from theft, but they can increase the lifetime of your car as well through protecting it against the elements. A car can be worn down quickly by weather.
Don’t leave your valuables out in the open where they can be easily seen – The very first thing that will attract a car theft is having something valuable inside. Never leave cash, your computer, phone, purse, wallet or anything else valuable where it can be seen.
Know the area – When it comes to dangerous areas, be careful. If a certain area has a reputation for not being all that safe, then it probably isn’t a very good place for you to parks your car – particularly if you are wanting to lower the chances of it being stolen. Be sure to park in neighborhoods where it would be notice if a car was being stolen and would be reported as well.
Take good care of your car – It might sound strange, but according to statistics, thieves are actually deterred by vehicles that are well maintained. The idea here is that if a car owner cares that much to keep everything nice, then probably they have devices installed for preventing theft.
Get an alarm (or a sticker at least) – It isn’t necessary for a car alarm to cost a huge fortune. They also are very useful. Before buying anything, check out the after-car market alarms. If you are unable to afford a car alarm currently, get a sticker at least. It might make a difference in your car being stolen or not.
Lock your car doors – A major temptation for car thieves is an unlocked vehicle. Every time you are leaving your car, be sure it is locked first. That is a simple and easy way of reducing the chances of your car being stolen. If you need help with upgrading your locks, contact a Houston Texas locksmith company.
Upgrade your vehicle – If it is time for you to replace your car, fortunately it might help with preventing theft. That is because there is a higher risk for an older car to be stolen. Getting a new car can be a fun and easy preventative measure.
Check Out Your Insurance Coverage
There is one final thing you should do to ensure that you are going to be fine if a theft does occur and then is to make sure to check out your insurance coverage. That way, you can have a plan to ensure your car is replaced in case your car does end up being stolen.
Keeping your vehicle safe is as easy as just following some of these useful tips. There is no reason for you to tempt fate. Instead, get some new habits implemented, and it will go a very long way towards preventing car theft.
For information on the services we provide visit here. If you need immediate assistance please call us or contact POP-A-LOCK Houston today!