No one likes a theft. Worse yet, no one likes to be the victim of theft. Arguably, the only thing worse than a home break-in, in a car break in. Our homes, not only filled with our possessions but our livelihood as well, takes the top spot. And somewhere after car security comes cyber security, which in a sense is probably the most important, but I digress. A string of car break-ins earlier this month was enough to trigger a respark of common sense safety tips to prevent your car from a break-in.
A few weeks ago there was a string of car break-ins in our neighborhood. Admittedly, most nights I don’t lock my car door. And, foolishly, Jonathan and I both leave our wallets in our respective cars. We needed a wake up call before we put our car security in the front burner.
The Night Our Cars were Broken Into
Most nights when I run to the gym, I take Jonathan’s car. He has Bluetooth and I can listen to my jams. This specific night, when I got home I only clicked the lock button once. I mentally told myself it locked, but didn’t beep as to not wake up Charlotte-Ann.
An hour before midnight, I decided to purchase mascara from a direct sales friend to help her reach her monthly goal. I ran out to my car quickly to grab my wallet.
Around 1am, I worked my way up to bed. Having just made an online purchase, I checked my email for a confirmation and noticed a NextDoor alert about a car break-in within our neighborhood. Just in case, I ran backdown stairs and clicked the car fob from the front window, twice. The car beeped. I went to bed.
But it was too late. Apparently, between 11 and 1, the car thefts had already hit up our cars. Jonathan noticed in the morning that his car door was not fully latched, and his center console and glovebox were open. Mine as well.
Was it a coincidence that we had both brought our wallets inside the night before? I don’t believe in coincidences.
Moving forward, we will be much more proactive with the prevention of car break-ins. This time we were lucky- there was no money, nor guns, nor valuables in the car. But what about next time? There won’t be a next time.
Top 3 Tips to Prevent Your Car from a Break-In
It’s common sense, but sometimes we need a reminder.
Lock your Doors
Obviously. The easiest way to prevent a car break in is by locking the doors, so the theft cannot simple open and rummage.
Also- invest in a key fob, which allows quick lock or unlocking with the click of a button. This eliminates any excuse along the lines of inconvenience or time management. It also allows the car owner the ability to double check the lock status from the front window, without leaving the house.
Illuminate your Driveway
Deter the thief from stepping foot in your driveway with a full coverage light. Many people use motion detection lights, but by the time they flick on the thief may already be inside your car. Keep the driveway illuminated all night and prevent the theft from stepping foot on your property.
Better yet- if you have a garage, use it. Breaking into a garage is much more time consuming and requires more effort. Someone rummaging through cars will probably target cars with the easiest access.
Out of Sight, Out of Temptation
We all have a phone charger in our car, but what about a smart watch charger? Tablet charger? GPS? Multiple cords mean multiple tech devices, which means higher chance there’s something valuable inside.
Tuck everything out of sight- including all cords. Don’t keep change in the cup holder either! Get in the habit of keeping the car clear of anything, even grocery bags which could be full of items to resell. If it’s in sight, a theft could be tempted.
I really hope that no one else experiences their car broken into. We were incredibly lucky, but it could have been worse. The night of our break-in, the thieves were looking for cash and guns. Had they been looking for cars, my keys were right on the dashboard. Had they been looking for loot to resell, our bounce house was in Jonathan’s trunk. It could have been worse. But I hope that these tips will help you keep your car safe, so no more cars are broken into.