of being the victim of auto theft. 1. Always lock your car. Approximately 50% of all vehicles stolen were left unlocked. 2. Always take your keys. Never leave them in the car. Nearly 20% of all vehicles stolen had the keys in them. 3. Never hide a second set of keys in your car. Extra keys can easily be found if a car thief takes time to look. 4. Park in well-lit areas. Over half of all vehicle thefts occur at night. 5. Park in attended lots. Auto thieves do not like witnesses and prefer unattended parking lots. 6. If you park in an attended lot, leave only the ignition/door key. If your trunk and glovebox use the same key as the door, have one of them changed. Dont give the attendant easy access to your glovebox and trunk. It may be inconvenient, but check the tires, spare and battery to insure they are the same as those you had when you parked. 7. Never leave your car running, even if you will only be gone for a minute. Vehicles are commonly stolen at convenience stores, gas stations, ATMs, etc. Many vehicles are also stolen on cold mornings when the owner leaves the vehicle running to warm up. 8. Completely close your car windows when parking. Dont make it any easier for the thief to enter your vehicle. 9. Dont leave valuables in plain view. Dont make your car a more desirable target and attract thieves by leaving valuables in plain sight. 10. Park with your wheels turned towards the curb. Make your car tough to tow away. Wheels should also be turned to the side in driveways and parking lots. 11. If your vehicle is rear-wheel drive, back into your driveway. Front-wheel drive vehicles should be parked front end first. On fourwheel drive vehicles the rear wheels sometimes lock, making them difficult to tow. 12. Always use your emergency brake when parking. In addition to ensuring safety, using the emergency brake makes your car harder to tow. 13. If you have a garage, take the time to use it rather than parking outside where your vehicle is more vulnerable. 14. When parking in a garage, lock the garage door and your vehicle. By locking both the garage and vehicle doors, the chances of deterring a thief greatly improve. 15. Dont leave the registration in your car. A car thief will use this to sell your stolen car. Either file the registration at your home
pERsonaL safETy in yoUR CaR 1. When driving your car, keep your doors locked and windows rolled up. 2. If you stop in traffic or at a light, keep your car in drive and stay alert. 3. Never pick up hitchhikers. 4. Travel on well-lighted, busy streets. Avoid unsafe areas. 5. Check your daily routeslook for safe places to stop, such as police or fire stations, all-night convenience stores, or gas stations. If you are being followed, go up to a public place that is safe and call 911. Dont bring the problem home with you. ConVEniEnCE DEViCEs Credit Card Key This is a special plastic card that holds two keys (also plastic) which you can have cut to fit your door and ignition system. Carry it with you in case you lose your regular set of keys. Available at many lock and key shops. Wheel Locks Wheel locks are an inexpensive way to prevent the theft of your vehicles wheels and tires. Window film Window Film can increase the strength of your side and rear windows. Etching Window Glass Etching the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) into your window glass is a way of keeping the vehicle from being stolen for the glass parts. Locking Gas Cap A Locking Gas Cap prevents thieves from stealing the gas or refilling the gas tank if they steal the vehicle. For added convenience, many of the locking gas caps with combination access also provide a locked place to hide the vehicles extra set of keys. Bar Locks Bar locks attach to the steering wheel and block the ability to steer the vehicle. They can also stop the theft of the air bag. This tool can be enhanced with the use of a shield that makes it more difficult to cut the steering wheel and remove the bar lock.
This well hidden switch is installed so when turned on, it cuts power to your starter. fuel switch
This is a power cut-off device which, unless a switch is turned off, will disable your car shortly after its started. Time Delay ignition
When turned on, this mechanism stops the flow of fuel from the fuel pump so the car will only go a short distance and then quit. armor Collar
This device will activate your ignition only after a preset time has passed. There is no way to activate the ignition before the preset time has elapsed. Clutch and Brake Lock
A metal shield that locks around your steering column, which prevents tampering with the ignition switch or starting mechanism. This prevents hot-wiring a car because the area is inaccessible. Hood Locks
This mechanism, used only on manual transmission vehicles, locks the brake pedal and the clutch pedal together so one cant be operated without the other. Brake Lock on Hydraulic system
Hood locks prevent a thief from stealing parts under the hood or disconnecting anti-theft devices.
This is a mechanism which, when activated, locks on all four brakes and makes it difficult to move or tow the car, even if the engine is started.
aLaRm sysTEms These can have many features. Some of these features are: Keyless entry that enables you to open and lock the vehicle while arming or disarming the system. It could also allow you to open the trunk remotely. Electric scan prevention stops the use of scanning tools to duplicate your remotes signal. Built-in kill switch that disables the ignition or cuts off the fuel supply. A loud horn or siren that can be activated from the remote. This acts as a panic alarm. An impact sensor that sets off the alarm before the glass breaks. A proximity sensor that warns people when they get too close to the vehicle. A hood sensor that sounds the alarm if someone is tampering with the hood. A remote notification device that tells owner if the alarm is going off.
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