- Keep valuables hidden: Never leave your car unattended with valuables in plain view. This is especially important when packed in an unfamiliar car park.
- Mind where you park: Parking at the farthest corner of the parking lot will only make your car a target. Pick a parking spot carefully.
- Keep the car tidy: A clean and tidy interior can help keep opportunistic thieves at bay. Cover your carpets with car mats from Mrcarmats.co.uk.
- Check to ensure your valuables are still intact. This is crucial, especially if you had left valuables locked in the boot or glove box.
- Wipe the windscreen clean: Phone cradles, sat navs, and other devices hooked on the windscreen leave marks behind. Thieves use these marks to identify cars with potential valuables.
We all have a favorite parking spot at home. The driveway, garage, in front of the house, or even in the supermarket car park are some of the areas most of us prefer to park. This is because we are familiar with the surroundings or have total control of the same. This isn’t, however, the case with parking lots and spots we aren’t familiar with. Parking in the wrong spot, especially on holiday, can make your car a target, a reason you need to be careful where you park. Discussed below are some of the ways you can keep your car safe during the holidays.
- Keep Valuables Concealed
Going on a holiday with your car parked with essentials can be exciting. It also attracts unnecessary attention and is a magnet for opportunistic thieves. That said, it would be advisable to bring only what you need and keep all valuables tucked safely and out of sight. The last thing you want is to allow everyone to see your valuables, especially when you have to make a stop to refuel or stretch your legs.
- Pick A Parking Spot Carefully
Always survey the area before parking your car. Whether parking by the road or in a parking lot by the motel, it would be advisable to pick a well-lit spot near a streetlamp. Dark stretches aren’t the best, especially in a new neighborhood. Consider parking in direct view of busy shops and houses within the view of a CCTV camera.
Remember to park the car with wheels turned into the curb. This defensive maneuver will attract attention should a thief try to drive away with your car. The car will go over the curb instead of into the street, causing a commotion in the long run. Experts also recommend parking the car facing the front of the parking bay. Any potential thief would have to reverse out of the spot, buying you enough time to react.
- Keep The Car Tidy
One of the best ways to keep your car safe when on holiday is to keep thieves guessing. This can only be achieved if you tidy it up and ensure no valuables are within direct view. Ensure all valuables, especially phones, tablets, computers, etc., are safely hidden. You also want to keep flip-flops, jackets, beach towels, and anything else you brought along hidden or covered up. A tidy and empty car interior is less likely to attract the attention of a potential thief than a disorganized one.
- Keep Tabs of Your Valuables
Do you have to leave valuables locked in the glove box or the boot? If yes, check if it’s still there when you come back. This will give you a better chance of tracking it down, especially if your car was broken into. This way will be easier than realizing your laptop or other valuables are missing many hours or miles later.
- Keep The Windscreen Clean
The windscreen is the perfect place to mount sat navs and phones. Unfortunately, these handy devices and mounts leave a mark on the windscreen, announcing it loudly to potential thieves. It only takes one look for a skilled thief to see you had something mounted on the windscreen, giving them a reason to want to break in. Wiping the windscreen clean, however, removes such traces. Consider taking these devices with you when you leave the car.
- Avoid Dark Parking Spots
As mentioned before, always look for a well-lit and strategic spot to park your car. Avoid leaving anything valuable or expensive in the car when you leave. Throwing a towel over your laptop or phone won’t fool a determined thief.
