One of the worst feelings in the world is when you return from a shopping spree or from a nice dinner only to discover somebody broke into your vehicle and stole all your valuables. Even if nothing was stolen, it is a horrible feeling knowing somebody broke into your car, you feel so violated.
Each year, over $1.2 billion in accessories and personal items are taken from vehicles that have been broken into. And for every successful theft from an automobile, it is estimated that there are several attempted break-ins. With a little common sense, you can greatly minimize the chances that your vehicle will be a target.
Suffolk Glass, your windshield replacement service on Long Island, offers you these helpful tips to prevent vehicle break-ins.
Lock It Up
Your vehicle should be locked at all times when you are not around. This means you need to take the time to lock your car even if you are just running inside a convenience store for just a moment or two. You can just never tell when a thief might hit. They are, after all, lurking in certain areas just waiting for the right opportunity.
It doesn’t take long for somebody who knows what they are doing to open your door and take your stuff while you are buying a Big Gulp. It literally takes two seconds to push the button on your key fob and lock the doors on your car. Don’t be an easy target.
Keep It Neat
Anything that is kept in your car can be hiding something of value, at least in the eyes of a thief. There might not be anything except a whopper wrapper and a few fries inside that Burger King bag in the back seat of your car, but a thief might think otherwise. Even an empty shopping bag from Target could be reason enough for someone to break into your car just to check it out.
Your best bet is to keep the inside of your car as clean as possible and be continually removing junk from it. If you do have shopping bags full of goodies, keep them in the truck or some other place where they won’t be seen by people passing by.
Don’t Stash in the Parking Lot
Get into the habit of putting your shopping bags and other valuables in the trunk or out of view when you return to the car. That is, don’t drive to the next store, open the trunk, place your shopping in it and then go to the store. If somebody were casing the parking lot, they would know you have goodies in the trunk. Thieves are known to linger at parking lots looking for people moving their valuables out of sight.
By following these helpful tips, you stand a better chance of not having your car broken into.
If you have a windshield with a crack or a star, it is a good idea to have it repaired right away. Contact Suffolk Glass, we can help.