Have you ever walked out of a store, walked to where you thought your car was, only to feel completely disoriented as to why you don't see your vehicle? Do you instantly have the fear creep up that maybe someone stole your car? But then, you turn around and realize you parked somewhere else, and you were looking at last weeks parking spot. PHEW.
Even though we live in the Pacific Northwest which tends to have a friendly, down to earth human vibe, we are not exempt from crime. Whether you're in Seattle, or out toward Mountlake Terrace, there's the possibility for something to happen at any time. Now, we don't want you to walk around in fear of your car being stolen...however, a little wise precaution never hurt anyone. In fact, it could very well deter the crime from happening. What precautions are we talking about?
Below are our top 5 ways to avoid getting your car stolen
Lock Your Vehicle and Take Your Keys With You
Sound like common sense? It is. However, you would be surprised how many people either leave their car unlocked, or actually leave their keys in their vehicle. Example: You go to a nice, beautiful metro park and realize you don't have any pockets and don't want to lug your keys around while you go on a jog. What do you do? Surprisingly, many people leave their keys in their car, trusting that it'll be okay.
Nothing wrong with trust, in fact, that's beautiful. But for the purpose of avoiding a mishap, it's best to go ahead and bring your keys with you after you lock your vehicle. If this means being slightly more prepared in either what you wear or what you carry - so be it. Lastly, please - under no circumstances - do not keep your car running and walk away. If the wrong person walks by, that's literally handing them your Subaru. Yes, it's wrong - but not everyone lives by the same rules, unfortunately.
Park Intelligently
This means putting a little bit of effort and consideration in where you choose to park your Subaru. Ideally, parking in a garage is the most secure. But if you're out and about, or have street parking, definitely park where the most human interaction takes place. A nice, busy area is a lot harder to steal a car, then somewhere that is off to the side and private. A great night tip is to always park in the light. Whether you're under a street lamp, or a well lit parking lot - parking in as much light as possible is a huge deterrent for anything scoping out which car to swipe.
Have An Alarm Sticker
Even better, have an alarm. But truly, even having an alarm sticker on your dashboard or side window will help deter any prospective thief. The chance that your car will begin making loud, obnoxious noises while they are trying to take it, will usually put enough fear or second thoughts in their mind, helping them move on to a different target. It's the same concept of having a sign on your home stating you have an alarm system - no one wants more trouble than they need when trying to get away with a crime.
Valuables Don't Belong in Your Vehicle
Take them out! There's nothing worse than having bait in your vehicle. If you are keeping something you truly care about, or that has monetary value, always take it out of your Subaru. We aren't talking about your dirty gym clothes (even though you may love those lulu lemons)!
We are talking about laptops, purses, Ipads, electronics, jewelry, etc. The less items you have in view, the better. But don't just hide them, actually remove them from the vehicle. If a thief breaks into your car for the purpose of stealing items, and not the car itself, you'll be glad you weren't hiding things in your glove box.
Invest in a Physical Anti-Theft Device
Did you know that about 40% of insurance companies offer a discount for vehicles that have an antitheft device? Physical anti theft devices include vehicle immobilizer systems that prevent thieves from hot wiring your car. Most criminals are looking for an easy target so that they avoid drawing attention to themselves. The harder you make it on them, the harder it'll be for them to get away with your Subaru.
Also, taking advantage of tech based recovery tools is a huge leg up if your car does happen to get stolen. Systems like OnStar can use GPS to track your vehicle to aid the police in locating the car. Some systems can also send a signal to your vehicle that makes it actually slow down and shut off, deterring any thief from walking away with your keys (and car) in hand.
Taking simple action steps like these can completely change a possible unfortunate outcome. You can't control everyone, but you can set yourself up for the best chance of safety. If you need any help securing your vehicle, give us a call. We would be happy to go over all the options with you. Click here to schedule an appointment at Suburb Service, or call (206) 705-8695 to reach our Seattle location. Show your Subaru some love by keeping it protected.