Top Tips For Safeguarding Your Vehicle When Away From Home

Going out in the car for a drive can be a relaxing and enjoyable experience. But if your journey involves being out for longer than a day, then it’s natural to have some concerns – primarily vehicle safety and how best to secure your vehicle when not in use. Most hotels if you’re booked in with one provide their own secure, on-site parking, but there is always a likelihood of no spot being available, or if there is, the cost to park is prohibitively high. As a result, many people tend to choose their own parking spaces, perhaps located off-site and in a part of the visiting town or city which is unfamiliar to them. Unfortunately, though, vehicle theft is on the rise, with sophisticated car theft rings working everywhere. It can take as little as 10 seconds for a professional car thief to break into your vehicle and steal something from it, or worse, in just a bit more time they could drive away with it. The police advocate that most vehicle crime is preventable, and by following a few simple steps, you can help prevent being the thieves’ next victim. 

As mentioned above, the best place to park your vehicle while away from home is in a secure car park. Ideally, look for a car park with barriers or gates to help prevent your car from being stolen. If there are no secure car parks with these safety features in sight, then try to look for a location that is in the vicinity of traffic – whether it be car or pedestrian, even in the middle of the night. Car parks with plenty of visibility, including street lighting, tend to be safer places to park your car, but still don’t offer any guarantees. Choosing a parking lot that has  CCTV security cameras on securitycamerasreview.org in operation may not able to physically intervene in a theft, but can be crucial for tracking down criminals should they go ahead with the theft. For example, after the London Riots of 2011, CCTV cameras captured so much footage that the police were able to arrest more than 5,000 criminals. Would-be offenders are much less likely to act if they know they are going to be caught on camera, but there are those who will still make their move, regardless.

It isn’t only vehicle theft that is on the rise these days, but fuel theft is too. As fuel prices continue to increase, this precious liquid is becoming a valuable commodity. Much of the theft is occurring at petrol stations, at commercial premises, and even with vehicles. This type of crime is often left undetected until the vehicle owner returns to his car and attempts to start up his engine. In 2015 alone, a shocking £1.4million worth of fuel was stolen across the UK, and this is due in part to the fact that gaining entry to a vehicle’s fuel tank is relatively simple. To prevent fuel theft from happening to you, always ensure that your vehicle’s fuel tank is securely closed. Sadly, even stealing something as small as this is attractive to thieves, so again, it’s always important to be cautious.

We all grew up being taught by our parents that it’s important to be careful around strangers, and this remains true even as an adult. It’s never a wise idea to be too trusting of people whom you don’t know, particularly if you are in an unfamiliar environment or situation. There are plenty of organized gangs that operate, preying on unsuspecting tourists who are especially viewed as easy targets. When on holiday, people tend to be more carefree and easy going, making them easy marks. Organised criminals operate in a myriad of ways, and are so good at what they do that even the most normally vigilant visitor could fall prey to their games. Most people, for instance, when confronted with a person of perceived authority, will not question their motives or behaviors. If asked to hand over keys or other possessions, the likelihood of doing so is high. Therefore a criminal uninformed as a valet driver with name tag and all could easily drive away with your car, unbeknownst to you. If something seems fishy, it generally is, so always best to ask at the Reception desk who the valet on shift is before passing your keys to anyone. 

Remember as well, while some thieves are subtler than others, there are those who will straight up threaten and assault you for the keys to your car. Commercial truck drivers in particular suffer with poor truck stop security and a lack of safe overnight premises in the UK. This means they are that much more likely to be the victims of some form of violent crime, with the lack of safe facilities for drivers labelled as ‘a green light for truck thieves’ by the Freight Transport Association.

Overall whilst thieves will always strike anywhere, it’s important to use common sense and sound judgement to make yourself as unappealing a target as possible. Make the most of your environment, and be skeptical of any situation that seems too good or too convenient to be true-chances are that something is up. If you find yourself unsure, it’s worth taking the time to find somewhere more appealing to put your vehicle down, if only for your peace of mind!