The South African holiday season is officially here and under normal circumstances, people would be preparing to travel to holiday destinations all over the country. Sadly, this is the period where the country is experiencing a covid19 resurgence and many are undoubtedly feeling apprehensive about traveling. If you find that you need to travel, be aware the festive season is also the time that hijacking rates rise drastically. Criminals and thieves have gotten extremely smart, using smart keys to steal cars before switching numberplates and avoiding detection.
You can protect yourself from becoming a victim of car theft. It’s critical to keep your eyes peeled when you secure your car and take preventative actions to keep it safe. In this article we’ll give you nine tips to keep your vehicle safe during the holidays.
Keep Your Doors Locked
Making double sure that your doors are locked is the first step to discourage a thief. It’s good to get into the habit of checking your doors after you’ve locked them, as some criminals try to open one sneakily before the locks activate. If your car has a remote key, press it a few times to make sure everything is secure before leaving.
Remove Your Keys from the Vehicle
Leaving your keys in the ignition is asking for trouble. Thieves can easily break a window and drive away. Also, leaving your car running while you run a quick errand makes you an easy target for thieves. Remember, you’re on holiday, so there’s no rush. Take the time to secure your vehicle and always keep your keys with you.
Close the Windows
Try to keep your windows completely closed when driving. Thieves will simply reach in through the open window and taking anything. At best, they may snatch something from the front seat. At worst, they can gain access to your vehicle or force you out of the car. If need be, open your window slightly for fresh air, but not wide enough for a hand to reach inside.
Try to Park in Well-Lit Areas
Try avoiding parking areas that are poorly lit or places where there are not a lot of people around. We recommend that you park under a light and in a well-trafficked area, as thieves maybe discouraged if they know they can be seen.
Install an Audible Alarm System and Anti-Theft Device
It’s important to install an audible alarm system if your car didn’t come with one. You can also make use of visible anti-theft devices. A car alarm system is designed to emit a loud noise if someone tries to break in while the alarm is on. It creates unwanted attention and discourages potential thieves.
Visible devices, such as an alarm system’s flashing light, steering wheel lock or window etching may be enough to discourage a car thief. If they are not sure if they can get away with the car quietly or fear that they might get caught, they may just avoid your car altogether.
Install a Vehicle Immobilizer System
Thieves can “hotwire” your car, which bypasses your ignition. However, there’s something you can do to prevent this, and that’s installing a vehicle immobilizer system. These systems may incorporate kill switches, smart keys, and wireless ignition authentication. If a thief tries to steal a car with an immobilizer, it’ll refuse to start.
Install a Tracking System
One of the best choices you’ll ever make to secure your car is to install a vehicle recovery system. Should your car be stolen, the system will use wireless and/or GPS Technology to emit a signal to a vehicle monitoring service like EKS Tracking Solutions or to the police. This can aid the police to help recover your car.
EKS Tracking Solutions make use of state-of-the-art software applications and hardware to conduct accurate pinpointed tracking of vehicles. We can even recover your car if the thieves have crossed the border and left South Africa.
Never Leave Valuables in Your Car
One sure way to attract thieves is to leave valuables like purses, cell phones, or other high-value items in plain view in your car. If you can, leave any valuables at home. If you must have something important with you, make sure to keep it out of sight.
Another precaution you can take is to put your valuables in the trunk before leaving your house. Some thieves scope parking lots and look for people who are moving things to their trunk. As soon as you leave your car they’ll break in and take whatever you stashed away.
Be Alert
It’s good practice to check your surroundings when parking your car. If you feel uncomfortable or see someone loitering around the lot, rather park somewhere else. Again, we can’t stress to you enough that you should double-check that your car’s doors and windows are closed before leaving it unattended.
Take Away
Don’t let safety and awareness go out the window while you’re on holiday. It’s essential to keep your car doors locked and windows closed. Remember to always keep your keys with you, and never leave your valuables in plain sight.
Also, try parking in well-lit areas. If you’re afraid that something might happen to your car, install an audible alarm, immobilizer, and tracking system.
From all of us here at EKS Tracking we would like to thank our clients for their support throughout the year and wish everyone a happy festive season and a prosperous 2021.
Travel safe and wear your mask!
