In 2020, there have been 39,400 car thefts reported in Australia. This statistic means that one vehicle is stolen approximately every 13 minutes in Australia. Also, nearly half of all car thefts reported occurred in the driveway, carport or garage of homes.
So what precautions can you take so your car doesn’t end up as a number in these statistics?
Key security
Seventy per cent of cars stolen are with their own keys. So good key security is essential and plays a vital role to avoid car theft. The number one place thieves look for keys is on the door. So don’t leave them here or somewhere else where they can be easily found. Budget Direct noted that over 50 per cent of Australians keep their car keys within plain sight. So it’s no surprise that thieves opt for vehicle theft over stealing household items. This number also correlates with why over 50 per cent of cars stolen are on residential properties.
So what should you do with your car keys? Look for a spot that is not near the front door. A few good hiding places to think about include:
- A cupboard or drawer,
- A bag placed out of sight,
- In a storage space under the stairs.
- Basically, anywhere that is out of sight.
Lastly, don’t forget about your spare keys. These need to be out of sight as well. Though not together with your main car and house keys.
Increase security around the car
Lock your car! You need to lock your vehicle every single time. Whether you park your car in a garage, behind a locked fence, or under the carport. Secondly, lock your vehicle despite how long you will be away from it. It could be in five or ten minutes, or even having a coffee with your car in plain sight. You never know who is watching your street. So, get into a good habit of always locking your vehicle and checking that it’s locked too. Don’t be a part of the 12% of Australians who don’t lock their cars at home.
We like the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality. If a thief can’t see a car in the garage, it is unlikely they will try to steal what's in there. So what does this look like?
- Locking your garage door after every use,
- Maintaining your garage door and locking mechanism,
- Covering up any windows,
- Strengthening all the window panes with security film,
If you're not using it to store your car, then we recommend you do. Consider getting a storage shed for your belongings. It might even be time to declutter your garage from unused items as well.
Get yourself some bonus security too. Security cameras with motion detectors are the best kind of bonus security. It is best to install cameras where you’ll get clear footage of anyone on your property. Examples include the driveway and front door to your home. The next step is to set up the notifications and alerts on your smartphone. Now you will always be informed when someone has arrived on your property—no more surprises.
Of course, our cars are designed to get us from Point A to Point B fast. So parking your car outside of your property is unavoidable. There is no shortage of good and bad locations to choose from. So, when looking for a parking spot, keep these simple factors in mind:
- Is it in a well-lit area?
- Is it isolated from other cars, or is it in a busy spot?
- Can you spot CCTV cameras?
Out on the road
A Dashcam should be your car’s best friend. A dashcam is great at recording car accidents and your journey between places. A good dashcam can also record other activity, even if the engine is off. There is a myriad of different dashcams available in the marketplace. And there are others that upload the footage to a cloud server via wifi connectivity. Some dashcams track your location via GPS. So it pays to shop around and find the right one for you.
No one wants to see their car stolen or broken into. So it is vital to evaluate the tools you have to protect your vehicle regularly. If you do happen to have your car stolen or damaged, it’s best to call the police immediately. Be sure to provide them with as much information as you can, including camera footage.
