In the run-up to and during Christmas, your car may be left parked in the dark more often than usual.
You may be doing some late-night shopping for last‐minute presents. You may be visiting friends or family and parked up in a new place.
With car thieves wanting to bag a few early stocking fillers for themselves, wherever you’re parked, securing your car well during the darker winter nights is particularly important.
So, here are some simple tips to help prevent car crime during the winter:
- Always try to park in busy, well‐lit, open locations. If you can find a secure, supervised car park, even better.
- Try to not leave things in your car (for any amount of time). If you have to leave something, remove it from view and lock it in the boot or glovebox. A thief will break a window to grab handbags, jackets, phones, tablets, and shopping bags.
- Never leave your phone, wallet, or purse in the car. That includes the glovebox or boot. Always take them with you to be safe.
- To be extra safe, consider fitting an anti‐theft tracking device. These will alert the driver that the car has been stolen within minutes and can help police find the car.
- Electronic security systems can make things nice and simple for you. But, as professional car thieves become better at cracking them, it can be a good idea to use an old-fashioned manual locking system.
In short, park in a safe space, never leave anything in sight that could grab a thief’s eye, and consider extra security measures/devices for further peace of mind.
