Car theft is something that all car owners fear. Some people fear it so much that they become hesitant to have their vehicles get a touch-up in an automotive paint booth. They think that the flashier your car is, the more likely it’s going to get stolen.
But, if they only knew what goes on in the minds of car thieves, they’ll be able to rest easy because they’d know what kind of vehicles they actually target. If you want to know the secrets of these car thieves, read on.
Car thieves prefer older cars
Forget what you see in the movies. Most car thieves prefer breaking into older cars because of their less complex security system. Back then, before proximity keys were being used in most cars, thieves had an easier time breaking into them and fiddling with their ignition.
Now that newer cars have more advanced security systems, it’s a lot harder to break into these vehicles. Say, you have the latest Lexus model, or you even have a Tesla, you can rest easy. It’s unlikely that criminals will attempt to steal your highly advanced car.
Car thieves prefer what’s inside
The purpose of security systems in your car is to protect your valuables inside rather than to protect the car from being stolen. Thieves often focus on getting what’s inside a vehicle rather than stealing the whole car.
It’s harder these days to steal a whole car because of advanced technologies such as GPS units, where car owners can locate their missing vehicles in an instant. So, to make sure that your car won’t be broken into, you should remove all the valuable items inside, like laptops and loose cash. Make it a habit to remove these items every time you come home.
Car thefts often occur because of carelessness
Often, negligence is the main cause of a car getting stolen. As mentioned earlier, vehicles today have state-of-the-art security systems, which make it much harder for thieves to get their dirty job done. But those security systems often fail because of human errors.
One motorist, for example, got car-jacked because he left his car unlocked while he stopped by a coffee shop to buy a latte. There was also an incident of a motorist’s vehicle being stolen because he parked his car overnight in a shady part of the city.
Hiding cars in a public garage won’t guarantee their safety
It may be disappointing to realize that the harder you try to hide your car from public view, the more likely car thieves will target it. It’s because if you park your car deep inside a public garage, you’re also providing thieves with a safe environment for them to ply their illegal trade.
Car thieves often scour public garages because the lack of foot traffic in these locations means that they can work in silence. So, if you’re going to park your vehicle somewhere, be sure that the location is well lit and has moderately high foot traffic to dissuade any car thief from targeting your car.
