Congratulations on getting your car! Whether it is your first one or it’s one for the collection, it’s important to keep an eye on (and insure, of course) one of your most expensive life purchases.
To ensure that you can keep it safe and available for your daily drive, check out these security tips for your car!
Increase your garage or street security
Keeping your car from getting stolen starts by having a secure place to park it.
You can add more motion-activated gadgets to detect any stranger moving towards your vehicle. This can include a combination of lights, cameras, and alarms.
Add additional car locks
Every car does have a parking brake, but if it was broken into, that wouldn’t keep it from getting stolen.
This can include adding locks on your tires, steering wheel, and brakes. Doing this will prevent anyone from driving away with your car even if they somehow got in the driver’s seat.
Mark each part with your VIN
Cars can be stolen to sell their parts in the black market. To leave a trail for law enforcement, it can be done through using an etching kit and marking each part with your VIN.
The VIN is your vehicle identification number, which resembles a fingerprint for your car. When etching this, make sure to add your VIN to your windows.
Keep your car locked
If you’re not in your vehicle, it would be wise to keep it locked. This should be followed even if it is stored inside your garage or in a mall’s parking lot.
Speaking of parking lots, take the valet’s keys, especially if you’re driving higher-end brands such as BMW, Infiniti, and Jaguars.
Preventing break-ins also starts with the car locks themselves. Opting for a power lock (if your car doesn’t come with them) is a great security investment.
Opt for a remote car starter
If you want to start your car without someone taking off with it, you can have a remote car starter installed. This is also handy if you tend to leave your car to warm it up first thing in the morning.
What it does is turn on your car but not let it shift gears. They can also feature an ignition kill switch, a car alarm, and a smartphone app.
Upgrade to a smart car alarm
Speaking of alarms, you can also upgrade your car’s security through a smart alarm.
Installing a smart alarm can help you add more features such as activating a loud sound when it is being stolen. With its included app, you can also track your car wherever you go.
Add a kill switch
Remember that remote car starters can come with an ignition kill switch? What it does is that it doesn’t allow anyone to start the car even if a thief was able to get in with your keys.
When adding this feature to your car, make sure to put it in a hidden location. Making it too obvious will defeat the purpose in keeping your car secure.