Carjacking and auto theft
The best protection is prevention
Every 20 seconds, an automobile is stolen in the United States.
Carjacking and auto theft seem to be a business for those who engage in it, not because they resell the stolen cars, but it is because the necessary and valuable parts are greatly demanded. When cars are broken inot parts, they worth much more than their whole value.
Carjacking which is the forceful stealing of vehicle have been on the increase significantly over the last few years, which now makes up about 2 percents of all auto thefts. Enforcers of the law revealed that carjacking is an old crime, not until recent times, it hasn’t been separately reported from other car thefts.
California auto insurance company will always remind vehicle owners and drivers to be aware of carjacking and auto theft attempts, and thereby provides the underlisted tips to enable drivers limit their possibility of being involved in them:
- Stay alert- Be on the look out for suspicious people hanging out around, or walking towards your car.
- Make sure all door and windows are closed and locked.
- Always drive in the middle lane of the road to avoid being taken to the side-road for harassment.
- When you are bumped by another car, remain in the vehicle and drive to the closest police station.
- Avoid stopping at lonely pay phones, newspaper places, and ATM machines.
- Don’t park in dark areas.
Whenever you are face a carjacking or theft situation, be more concerned about your passenger’s safety, and yours first, and worry later about your personal things that are in the car.
In order to prevent attempts of car theft, the following might be helpful:
- Make installation security features like car alarm, steering wheel lock, or gear shift column.
- Don’t ever leave the ignitions on or off with the keys in it, no matter how short time you want to use outside the car.
- 10% of all theft vehicles are usually towed, therefore, you can make it impossible to tow your vehicle by turning your front wheels sharply to the left or right when you park, and also using emergency brakes.
- Keep all private belongings, expensive things, or items belonging to others in the trunk of the car.
- Lock your car, even in the garage.
- Dont keep registration cards in the vehicle.
All these are also some advise that are mostly given by any California auto insurance company.
