Performance Car Reviews, News and Parts for the Car Enthusiast

In these difficult financial times most folks need vacations more than ever. And people also want to save a lot of money if they can. One economical solution is to take the family car and drive to and from your holiday destination instead of flying.

If you are planning to drive, it may also make sense to take a few steps to protect yourself and family from auto thieves. Having a car thief steal your car, your luggage, other items of value in your trunk could really wreck what was supposed to be a fun filled and relaxing trip.

Even though you take all the numerous precautions to prevent auto theft when you travel, very determined professional car thieves can still take any vehicle if they want it badly enough. Do you remember the action movie Gone In 60 Seconds that starred Nicolas Cage? However, you still can really reduce the chances of becoming a victim of auto theft to near zero.

Most of these auto theft preventative measures are common sense and will you cost nothing to do. So why not make it a habit of implementing them not only when you travel by car on your holidays, but also in your every day driving as well?

Firstly, you should never take it for granted that you are immune from car thieves when traveling, or that your vehicle is not really worth stealing.

Keep in mind that thieves might be after more than your vehicle, luggage, or any valuables that might be inside your vehicle. They might only want an older car to take a joy ride in or for its parts.

They may also be after your vehicle documents for identity theft purposes, or they could be thinking of robbing your residence while you are away on vacation. Where would they get this important information? From the vehicle registration and auto insurance papers which are usually conveniently located in the glove compartment.

The best solution is to eliminate this possibly by keeping these documents on your person at all times when traveling on holidays.

The second best way to reduce this problem is to hide the documents really well in the trunk. Some police forces in cities that have a high incidence of auto thefts recommend doing this. Just remember to tell everyone who is traveling with you where these documents are squirreled away inside the trunk.

Here are some other ways you can lessen the odds of having your holidays disrupted by car thieves. If you can manage to implement a number of these suggestions, you will dramatically lessen the chances of being a victim of auto theft when you travel.

Close all of your vehicles windows tightly and lock all the doors when you park it anywhere, even if its only for a minute or two.

A real invitation to lose your vehicle is leaving it idling and unattended. Its just not cool to do it. Don’t even think about doing it.

Similarly, you should not leave your vehicles keys in the ignition or hidden anywhere in car. That also includes a second set of keys. Professional car thieves can easily find any keys hidden in the usual places very quickly. Keep an extra set of keys on your person.

Do not leave any thing of value in your vehicle, even if they cant be seen from the outside of your car. If you can, take them with you.

However, if you must leave valuables in your vehicle, make sure that they are locked up inside your trunk. When you do this, look around to make sure that no one is watching what you do, or better still stop, pull over, and put them in your trunk before you arrive at the place you’re going. Prying eyes could be anywhere.

When parking your vehicle in public areas, turn you front wheels either to the left or right before turning your ignition off. This will engage the steering wheel locking mechanism in the steering column which can make your car a little more difficult to steal.

By engaging the emergency brake after you have parked and turned the motor off, you may also make your vehicle harder to tow away.

For front wheel and rear wheel drive vehicles you should park them differently when in an underground parking garage. The front wheel drive autos should be parked with the nose in and rear wheel drives with the nose out. Then turn your tires to the left or right. Again, this may make your vehicle harder to tow away.

It is always better to park in an attendant supervised parking lot rather than an unattended one. If its a place or lot where there is valet parking, just give the attendant your door and ignition key. They do not need any other keys on your key chain.

In public areas near dusk and at night, always park in well lit places that have a lot of pedestrian traffic. Keep in mind that most auto thieves work at night.

Try to avoid parking near or next to any obstruction, such as a fence, hedge, large truck, or anything that blocks a clear view of your vehicle to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

When you stay in a place that has gated, secured parking, make sure that the gate has completely closed after entering or leaving so that a thief doesn’t sneak in to the parking area where you’re staying.

If you observe any suspicious activity like a person or group of people milling around or near your vehicle you should call the police.

Here are some anti-theft devices that you can install for maximum protection. You may already have a few of these products installed in your vehicle.

You can use an easily visible after-market steering wheel lock bar. Most car thieves will likely move on to easier prey/greener pastures. Other less visible after-market products are gas pedal locks, brake pedal locks, or armored collars that fit around the steering column which protects the ignition. For the manual shift vehicles you can also use after-market shifter locks. These items are effective but not as highly visible to prying eyes.

Another thing that you can do is get your mechanic to install a hood lock that will prevent easy access to your vehicles battery as well as its security system.

A loud vehicle alarm system and a highly visible alarm sticker on your windshield can be worth its weight in gold when combined with the addition of a number of other anti-theft security options.

The best vehicle protection is a passive electronic immobilizer which disables the motor when you turn off the ignition. Its not an inexpensive device to have installed but its well worth it for your peace of mind. There are other benefits you may receive when you install an electronic immobilizer in your car. Some auto insurance companies will offer a discount on your policy if you can show documentation that you’ve had one installed. You also could get more money for your vehicle if you decide to sell it down the road.

Last, but not least, you should make sure you have enough insurance coverage on your vehicle including theft and damage before you travel on vacation.

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