Car theft is something on the mind of every car owner. Whatever you drive, be it a simple commuter car, a family car, a tow vehicle for your caravan, a GT car for long road trips, a classic car, or a stop-light burner, nobody wants their car stolen because they allow us to travel freely and give us a sense of identity and pride. Let no one take that away from you. Here are the simple ways you can prevent your car from being stolen.
Parking and Storage
The first step to preventing car theft is finding a good parking spot. Ideally, you would want to park your car somewhere on your property, be it in a garage or driveway with a gate separating it from the road. However, not everyone can afford that convenience. For those who have no choice but to park on the road, find a spot that is well-lit, in plain view and close to your home.
When you’re out and about, find a secure parking spot. This could be a parking garage, a designated parking area or a street with other cars parked in plain view. When it’s late in the day and dark out, park somewhere that is well lit. People and light are the best thief deterrents. Double check to make sure all windows are closed, all doors are locked and any valuables are either out of sight or brought with you.
Secure Your Keys
Burglars not only target your jewellery and electronics, but also your car keys. When at home, place your keys somewhere out of sight and secure such as a desk drawer, cabinet or even a safe.
Outside of your home, make sure your keys are somewhere not easily accessible in order to avoid pick-pocketers getting away with your keys. When carrying your keys in a bag, a large/unique key chain can make your keys easily identifiable.
Locks and Clamps
Steering wheel locks and wheel clamps are cheap but cumbersome anti-theft devices that require you to remove them every time you drive and reattach then when you park. That being said, the sight of large chunks of metal attached to your car may be enough to deter thieves from steeling it. However, locks and clamps are opened with a key. This means you will have another key to look after and secure. Lose the key and you lose access to your car.
Alarms and Kill-Switches
If you’re familiar with the internal working of your car you could install an alarm or kill-switch as covert anti-theft devices. Alarms are useful for drawing attention to a thief caught in the act of stealing your car. However, car alarms can also be seen as a nuisance as they may be triggered by a false alarm.
A kill-switch adds an extra step to starting your car. After turning your key in the ignition, a press of a button or flipping switch is required to properly start your car. If you’re crafty enough, you could install several kill-switches which need to be set in a certain sequence to work.
GPS Tracking
The most high-tech solution is to implement GPS tracking on your car. Black Knight is a GPS tracking device that can be easily installed on your car to provide you with 24-hour monitoring capabilities.
The Z3 is Black Knight's flagship tracking device, designed to be compatible with just about any vehicle. Simply wire the device to your car’s battery, log onto bk-gts.com to start tracking your car.
We also offer a compact GPS tracking device that plugs into your car’s OBD-II port: the X3. This little tracker boasts all the same capabilities as the Z3 but is designed for a simple plug-and-play installation.
Protect your car! Contact Black Knight today to order your GPS tracking device!