In the run up to Christmas, many stores open into the night to help last‐minute shoppers. But parking your car in the dark of winter can provide rich pickings for car thieves wanting to bag a few early stockings fillers for themselves.
Tips to help prevent car crime during the winter:
-
Always park in busy, well‐lit, open locations if possible, or secure car parks that are supervised.
-
Don’t leave things in your car. But if you must, remove them from view and lock them in the boot or glovebox. A thief will break a window to grab shopping bags, a handbag, leather jacket, mobile phone or tablet.
-
Never leave your phone, wallet or purse locked in the glovebox or boot. Take them with you.
-
For valuable cars or cars that have an emotional attachment, 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 stolen car.
-
As professional car thieves become better at cracking electronic security systems, it’s a good idea to make use of an old-fashioned manual locking system.
