Easy

No one really wants to have their car stolen, but admit it-isn’t it comforting to know if your car does get ripped off, your auto insurance is going to pay for it? There’s a certain amount of security in knowing that. It’s the security we need to park on city streets at night and leave our doors unlocked while we run into the gas station “just for a second.”
It’s that security that helps thieves target our cars in the first place. We become complacent, we stop being aware, and before we know it we’ve become a victim. It’s as simple as that.
Car thieves, like all good thieves, like to hit easy marks. Whether they’re looking for a quick ride to the neighborhood chop shop or a hot GPS system to hawk on the black market, they don’t want to have to work any harder than they have to. Careless drivers are prime victims for theft, which is why auto insurance providers are encouraging drivers to take steps to protect their vehicles. Not only do these steps help prevent the chance that your car will be stolen, they also just might help lower the premiums on your auto insurance.
Simple Steps to Theft Prevention
1) Lock your doors. Most door locks can be jimmied with the right tools, but attempting to unlock a car door that way attracts attention (usually in the form of a helpful passerby) that car thieves really don’t want. Studies show that just by locking your car doors when you get out you can decrease the chances that you’ll become a victim by up to 60%.
2) Install a car alarm. Most people try to tune out car alarms, but most of them can’t help but look to see what’s going on-and just might catch a car thief in the process. Most auto insurance providers will offer you a reasonable discount if your car is protected by an alarm.
3) Roll up your windows. Again, an open window is an open invitation-especially when your doors are locked. You want to wrap your car up tighter than Ft. Knox.
4) Park in well lit areas. Thieves don’t like to be seen, and so they prey on vehicles out of sight of the public eye.
5) Install a fuel switch or engine switch. These nifty little devices make sure that your friendly neighborhood car thieves aren’t going very far. The fuel switch stops fuel from reaching the motor, and the engine switch stops electricity from traveling and starting the car properly. Either way, that car isn’t moving. Auto insurance providers love this one.
Lowering your auto insurance premiums shouldn’t be your only motivation when it comes to protecting your car from auto theft. As a matter of fact, chances are it doesn’t even make your top twenty. Your vehicle, and the people and items in it, are worth a lot more than you’ll ever save in auto insurance premiums-or pay for your auto insurance policy. Don’t you owe it to them to protect them to the best of your ability?