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Protect Your Vehicle from Auto Theft in Seattle, You May Even Save Money
on Your Car Insurance
By: Kade Phillips, contributing writer at kanetix.com.
It might surprise you to know that auto theft is big- big business in Seattle.
In fact, car theft worldwide, is a multi billion dollar a year business for
auto thieves. Automobile theft costs the car insurance companies huge amounts
of money in Seattle, and is a big part of the reason that auto insurance
rates for Seattle are what they are.
So,
as drivers and car owners in Seattle, what can we do to make it
harder for thieves to target our vehicle? And, is there a way to get a break
on your car insurance quote for the Seattle area by implementing one or more
of these strategies?
Some of these recommendations are such common sense, that you may wonder
why even mention them? Suggestions like locking your car may seem ridiculous,
but the fact of the matter is that almost half of all stolen vehicles were
left unlocked. It only takes once.
So here are some
simple tips to better protect your car and encourage
would be thieves to move on and look elsewhere:
• Lock Your Car. Almost half of all vehicles stolen are
left unlocked. At minimum, take your keys with you. (One out of every five
vehicles stolen has the keys in it.) Don’t hide an extra set of keys in your
car. Thieves know where to look for them. Close your car windows and sunroof.
• Don't make your car a more desirable target for thieves
by leaving valuable items in plain sight. In fact, keep your car tidy inside,
as stuff left lying around, may suggest that something of value may be there.
Use the glove compartment and trunk to keep things out of sight.
• At night, park in well-lit areas. Day or night, try to
park in attended lots. Thieves do not like to be seen committing their crimes.
Also, don't give the parking attendant easy access to your glove box and
trunk. When necessary, give only the car ignition/door key to the parking
attendant. If the trunk and glove box use the same key as the ignition/door
key, consider having one of them changed. On your way out, you may want to
quickly check the tires, spare, battery and lights to insure that they are
the same as the ones that you arrived with.
• Don't leave your car running and unattended. Autos are
often stolen at convenience stores, gas stations, ATM's, etc. Keep an eye
on your vehicle if you let it warm up unattended on cold winter mornings.
• Park your car in the garage or behind a locked gate.
If you have no garage, consider parking the least attractive vehicle in your
household in such a way that it blocks the most attractive vehicle. If you
have only one car and no garage, pull your car up as far up the driveway
and as close to your dwelling as you can. Most cars are stolen off the street
or from parking areas. Locked garages, gates and other obstacles create more
levels of difficulty. Putting a bell or other noise-making device on a gate
that does not have a lock is also a good idea, as is a light that comes on
when motion is detected.
• Things like "clubs" and other cheaper security devices
are of little use to stop a determined professional car thief, but they present
an obstacle that will most likely stop the less experienced “crime of opportunity”
seeking criminals. These types of devices are definitely better by far, than
no security measures at all.
• Turn car wheels sharply toward or away from the curb
and set the brake. If your car has a manual transmission, leave your car
parked in first gear or in reverse. If you have an automatic transmission,
use the parking gear. Once again, this makes it more work for a thief who
is looking for an easy opportunity.
The following tips will not only
make your car a less desirable target
for thieves, but may also help
reduce your auto insurance rate
in Seattle:
• Install a car alarm, most especially if you park in a
parking lot or on the street when at home. Here, the only debate is whether
you should display the sticker advertising the fact that you have a car alarm
or not, as you will likely save a decent amount of car insurance if you have
one installed. (A professional car thief will be alerted that there is an
alarm, and will likely know how to disable it, and steal your car anyway
if they really want it, but, it probably deters most easy opportunity seeking
criminals.) The biggest deterrent that a car alarm can offer is to alert
witnesses as to what is going on and this makes most criminals very nervous.
• Install a GPS-based automobile security tracking device.
This ingenious device can locate your stolen car wherever it is, and, from
an insurance perspective, is a very good idea. You will likely get a decent
reduction on your premium if you install this device. Once again, the only
debate is whether you should display the sticker advertising the fact that
you have this device installed, for the same reasons as were discussed earlier
with the car alarm.
To deter the incidence of auto theft in Seattle, Washington, and the adverse
effects that car theft has on auto insurance rates, action is required in
two areas: (1) Law enforcement and prosecutors should make greater use of
existing laws and tools to detect, investigate, and prosecute car thieves
to the fullest extent possible; and (2) The public must aggressively take
steps to prevent car theft before it happens.
It is hoped that this article helps to better educate more people about the
simple things they can do to drastically reduce this crime that affects all
drivers in Seattle, and collectively, our auto insurance rates.
Kade Phillips is a contributing writer at kanetix.com,
Serving Seattle car insurance quotes / Auto insurance quotes Seattle.
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