With fuel costs skyrocketing, it’s no surprise that the rate of vehicle theft and break-ins has risen in turn, with higher crime rates reported across Melbourne. Cars reported as stolen have gone on to incur speeding fines and toll fees addressed to registration holders, leading to added headaches for victims of vehicle theft. Add to this, having to shell out for auto repairs, and potentially even going without a car for weeks while waiting for spare parts and appointments to open up at your local mechanic.
Everyone wants to do what they can to avoid falling victim to a car theft or break-in, so what steps can you take to keep your vehicles safe?
Invest in suitable car insurance cover
Depending on your policy, your car insurance may provide financial cover for vehicle theft incidents. Generally, comprehensive car insurance policies can provide cover for the full market value of your vehicle in the event that it’s stolen, and potentially even for hire car costs for a period of time following the theft.
For vehicle owners on a tighter budget or a vehicle with lower market value, third party fire and theft car insurance policies may also provide cover both for your vehicle’s full market value and for hire car costs.
Determining which insurance policy is right for you starts with reading through policy inclusions and premium vs. excess rates. Taking the time to weigh up your insurance options and find the right fit can benefit your hip pocket and provide peace of mind.
Install dashcams with a secure parking mode
Opportunistic passersby gauge the security of parked cars to identify weaker targets. Looking through your windscreen and seeing a hardwired dashcam and little red blinking light generally dissuades most people from attempting to break into your car.
The added benefit of having a dashcam in your car is that it may help identify at-fault parties in the event that someone hits your vehicle while it’s parked. Dashcams with a secure parking mode (i.e. activated using motion or impact sensors) can help record evidence at all times.
Use a steering wheel lock when parking your vehicle
Although a dashcam may record faces of culprits who’ve tried and failed to gain entry to your vehicle, your car can still be stolen and your dashcams disconnected or storage cards snatched to hide the thief’s identity. This is where a mechanical barrier like a steering wheel lock can come in handy.
A steering wheel lock stops your steering wheel from turning, so even if malicious third parties gain entry to your vehicle, they can’t drive away. Steering wheel locks today typically also come in bright metal colours, so they’re visible through your windows.
Being a mechanical device, steering wheel locks are also immune to digital hacking, unlike digital locks and car keys. You can only undo a steering wheel lock with its dedicated key. So long as that key stays safe on your keychain, you can rest assured knowing your parked car will still be waiting for you at the end of the day.
Refrain from keeping valuables in your car
The most common reason for vehicle break-ins is that trespassers see potential valuables inside, whether it be computers or other electronics, a wallet, or jewellery, cash, or other small valuable items in your centre console. If thieves can clearly see something worth taking, then they’ll be more inclined to break some glass.
Granted, it’s not always possible to take your valuables with you when parking your car. For example, you might opt to do a quick run to the shops after work, leaving your work bag and work devices in your car. Even just storing them securely out of sight in your car boot or under a jacket can help reduce risks of those valuables being visible to passersby during your shopping trip.
Opt for garage parking over street parking
The easiest way to avoid prying eyes on your car is to refrain from parking on the street. Secure garage parking in garage facilities with CCTV is always ideal, especially for drivers who park for extended periods during their workday. If you’re working on-site 5 days a week and parking on a side street close to your workplace, that means your car will be street parked 40 hours every week – that’s a large window of opportunity for thieves.
Instead, parking your vehicle in a secure garage will significantly limit the number of eyes on it daily, and make it a lot harder for criminals to act undetected.
Use anti-theft screws for installing your number plate
Finally, even if your car is theft-proof, it doesn’t mean that your number plates are. In fact, license plate theft is amongst the most commonly reported cases to the Victoria Police relating to auto theft. And the way that speed cameras and tollways work, any fines incurred by your thief will be attributed directly to you as the registrationholder for that number plate. Granted, these fines can be contested by simply evaluating camera footage and confirming the thief’s car is a completely different make and model to yours – but this is still quite a bit of admin that you shouldn’t have to worry about.
Thankfully, reducing your risks of number plate theft can really be as simple as installing your plates using anti-theft screws. These specialised screws (also often called ‘one way screws) use a unique head design that makes them impossible to remove using a Phillips or flathead screwdriver. So thieves using basic equipment won’t be able to remove your number plates on the fly.
You can pick up anti-theft screws at your local hardware store.
Safeguard your vehicles with these security tips
Reducing your risks of falling victim to vehicle theft or break-ins demands a dynamic security strategy. Using a combination of all the tips we’ve outlined above, you can make sure your car isn’t an easy target for opportunistic thieves.
