No one is free from having their car stolen, whether in large cities or small towns, although, obviously, in this, there are also places where thieves are used more thoroughly. Most drivers leave their cars on the street, where they are more exposed to attack by thieves. Unfortunately, and as is well known, for these criminals, opening a car is a matter of seconds, and it doesn’t matter if it is a luxury brand or a utility vehicle.
According to police data, about 150 vehicles are stolen every day, that is, more than 55,000 a year. One thing to keep in mind is that Spain is the fifth country in Europe where the most cars are stolen, after Italy, Great Britain, France and Germany. To complicate things, we must add the appearance of criminal gangs specialized in stealing cars to sell in other countries. The traffic of high-end cars is known, but many of the medium and low ranges are also being stolen to resell in other poorer countries, such as Poland, at a low price. This makes the most stolen car in Spain the Seat León, along with the Volkswagen Golf, the Seat Ibiza, the Ford Fiesta and the Renault Megane.
By autonomous communities, it is in Madrid where the most are stolen, with 24% of the total, followed by Andalusia, Catalonia and the Valencian Country. By contrast, where fewer cars are stolen is in La Rioja, Cantabria, Extremadura, Asturias and Aragon.
What do you need to prevent my car from being stolen?
- Your vehicle
- Your driving license
- Your documentation
Instructions to prevent my car from being stolen
- If you park on the street. If you are forced by various circumstances to park your car on the street and you cannot keep it in a garage, try to park it in a well-lit area and if possible very crowded. Even better if you can park it in a place that you can see from the windows of your home.
- The alarm. An anti-theft or alarm system is essential if you park your car on public roads at night or for long periods of time. And above all, make sure it is clearly visible, as a deterrent so that the thief discards your car for another that does not have an alarm. There are many anti-theft models, such as those that use bars that lock the steering wheel, or better, steering wheel and pedals.
- Not a minute. If you use the car to carry out some procedure that will imply that you park briefly, or that you park for a short time, or that you stop for gas, it is easy that you do not take all the recommended security measures, because “it is only a moment”. However, before leaving the vehicle, it is worth removing the keys from the ignition, blocking the steering and leaving the car locked. Thieves take advantage of any such opportunity.
- Not with my command. Nowadays it is common to get out of the car and as we drive away, we press the button on the remote control to lock the vehicle. It is very comfortable and pleasant to use. But it’s better that you don’t. Why? To prevent thieves from intercepting your remote control code, from copying it and thus opening your vehicle with all the comfort… theirs. This is especially useful advice if you park it in places where there are a lot of people and the theft operation is more concealed.
- Nothing in sight. It seems like a drawer, but we keep forgetting it: Do not leave any object in sight, in particular the objects that can most attract the attention of a friend of others, such as bags, wallets and briefcases, mobile phones, coats, electronic devices such as tablets or cameras photographic etc. Anything that can be easily transported and can be sold quickly will be a magnet for those who are into car theft.
- Large parking lots. If you go with your car to a large-scale event, such as a concert, a football match, a fair, or to places where crowds of people gather, such as shopping malls, train stations, airports, etc., in Because the car parks are huge, which also facilitates theft due to its size and the scarcity of people in that area, try to place your vehicle as close as possible to the security guard’s booth or out of sight of customers or whoever it might be at. least witness to some strange incident.
- Take the ticket. When you park in a car park, never leave the ticket inside the car, because if it were stolen, the thief could calmly take it out the door and right under the noses of the entrance staff, and if there isn’t one, record that apparently, it’s you who has taken him out of there, if nobody suspects that it is not a legal exit.
- With the papers in the m. In other words, never leave the car’s papers inside it, as there is also a type of theft in which a vehicle is stolen and then only the documentation of a car of the same model is stolen, to later change the license plates and sell the vehicle and papers together, which doubles the difficulty of tracking him down.
- On a trip If you go on a trip or not for whatever reason, you are not going to use your vehicle for a long time, make sure that the car is not always parked day and night in the same place. Ask a friend or family member to move it from time to time around the neighborhood, as often as possible.
- Insurance locked. When you drive in general, but especially in the city, try to have the locks on all the doors locked, and the windows closed. Another type of robbery is to take advantage of a traffic light or any parking lot to open the passenger door and quickly remove the bag, a mobile phone or anything within reach.
- Record the number. One way to prevent more than one theft is to engrave the chassis number and the license plate of the car on the window panes. Having to change the crystals of all of them will be a cost that will discourage the most expert thief.
Tips to prevent my car from being stolen
- If you use alloy wheels, you can prevent them from being removed by attaching security screws, available at dealerships and automotive stores.
- It is not highly recommended that you pick up strangers on the road or ignore indications that you have a flat tire or something similar. Wait to review the possible problem later if you do not notice anything, since they are widely used methods to dock on the road.
