Car thief trying to break into a car with a screwdriver. 

 

In 2018, a whopping 748,841 cases of motor vehicle thefts took place in the US. These crimes alone resulted in a staggering $6 billion in direct property losses.

$6 billion is already a lot, but it doesn’t even account for the stress and trauma experienced by victims. There’s also the time spent on filing insurance claims. All these can cause indirect losses in the form of lost productivity or days away from work.

That’s why as early as now, you should learn how to avert and deter car break-ins. This way, you can prevent not only the loss of your car but also the rise in insurance premiums due to filing a claim.

To that end, we’ve come up with some of the top strategies on how to prevent car break-ins. Read on so you can protect your precious ride as soon as possible.

1. Bring it Inside 

As obvious as this is, at least a quarter of US adults admit that they either don’t or can’t park their car in the garage. Some car owners say that their garage has gotten “too cluttered,” so their wheels no longer fit inside. Others say that their indoor parking space is too small for their new, more massive vehicles.

If you have a garage, then you should use it for its intended purpose, which is to house your car. Be sure the garage door has a working lock and isn’t a safety hazard.

One more thing: by cleaning up your garage, you can reduce your odds of encountering pests and vermin at home.

2. Lock the Steering Wheel

If your house doesn’t have a garage, one of the easiest ways to boost your car’s security is to use a steering wheel lock. It’s an anti-theft device that works by affixing and immobilizing the steering wheel. Since the wheel locks in place, then a potential car burglar won’t be able to ride away with your car.

3. Get Higher-Quality Window Tinting Products

Increased privacy is one of the top benefits of car window tinting. However, window films also help hinder break-ins as they help reinforce the glass. If a burglar tries to smash the glass, the film delays the breakage by holding the cracked glass in place.

Besides, window tinting films also help boost your protection against skin-damaging UV rays. Keep in mind that only the windshield glass blocks UVA and UVB rays. The rest of your windows only protect against UVB and not UVA.

It’s because of this that US drivers are 20 times more at risk of getting sun damage on the left side of the face. Moreover, their left arm gets up to five times more UV exposure compared to their right arm.

Window tinting films protect against both UVA and UVB rays. All these make them an excellent safety, security, and healthy addition to your ride.

4. Add More Sensors

To boost the effectiveness of security window films, you might want to add window sensors. As part of a vehicle alarm system, they trigger the alarm when they detect glass impact. The loud sounds, paired with the delayed breakage, might be enough to scare away burglars.

Door sensors can also help prevent car break-ins via vehicle doors. These monitor for suspicious door activity, like unauthorized openings. With the alarm engaged, anyone who tries to open the door will get blasted with loud warning sounds.

You might also want to get shock sensors, which pick up vibrations occurring around a vehicle. These devices “analyze” these motions to determine if there’s suspicious activity going on. For example, if someone tries to break into your vehicle’s trunk, the sensors will sound the alarm.

As you can see, these types of sensors monitor for different methods of break-ins. As such, you may want to invest in all of them for a more comprehensive car security system.

5. Let Criminals Know You Can See Their Face

There’s a lot of debate about security cameras, with some burglars saying that these do deter them. For the most part, CCTVs or dash cams work as a psychological deterrent. Most criminals, after all, don’t like to expose their identities.

On the other hand, law enforcers and government bodies say that cams don’t prevent crimes. However, they also admit that footages from these cams may help aid investigations.

All these may be enough incentive for you to consider installing a dashcam in your vehicle. The most innovative ones provide 24/7 recording features, even if you’re not using the car itself. They also offer remote monitoring, so you can always check what’s happening to your ride.

Many insurers also offer policy discounts for car owners who use anti-theft devices. Most of these insurance companies consider dash cameras as part of these technologies.

6. Clamp Up the Wheels

A tire lock is another fantastic way to avert not only break-in attempts but car thefts too. This is especially helpful if you don’t have a garage and need to park it outside for long periods.

Tire locks, also called tire boots, are those used by the police on illegally-parked cars. They work by clamping on the wheel, thereby rendering it almost immovable. In addition, they secure the wheel itself, so they also help keep wheel thefts at bay.

Note that wheels are very profitable in the black market, so criminals love to steal these parts. In 2018, for instance, thieves hit a Weymouth Honda dealership, in which they stole $200,000 worth of wheels.

Reduce Your Risks of Dealing With Car Break-Ins

As you can see, there are loads of ways to prevent car break-ins and even hinder on-going attempts. Some, like adding sensors and window tinting, would cost you some money. However, their price is nothing compared to what you’ll lose if you end up having your ride stolen.

Looking for more ways to boost your car’s safety, security, and great looks? Be sure to check out our other blog posts then, and feel free to give us a call if you have any car-related questions!