Yeah, you love your car and you can't imagine
your life without it. It’s your baby! But what have you done to protect it from
all the bad guys who might be after it? It turns out even simple little things, like
stickers, window etching, or taking the manual out of it can help! 1. Don't attract thieves In many cases, it's not the car the thieves
are after. It's that shiny new laptop you dropped at
the front seat (because you're only out for a minute, right?). Or maybe your designer purse that looks like
it's stuffed full with valuables. Things like that are hard to resist, and often
lead to a break-in. So take an extra moment to hide your belongings
in the trunk, and your vehicle will be less tempting for criminals. 2. If you like it then you should have put a
sticker on it One thing car thieves don't like is getting
caught. Another thing they aren't big fans of is a
rear window sticker that informs there is an alarm or tracking system installed. They know it might not be true, but chances
are they won't want to check it. 3. Mark it
You don't have to put a leopard print on your vehicle, but you can get its ID number engraved
on each of the windows and light covers. Replacing the glasses to sell the car will
cost them extra money, and thieves aren't enthusiastic about it. You can also play spy and leave marks on different
parts of the car with an invisible pen, or cover it in micro dots with your ID details. This won't stop thieves but will make it way
easier to track the vehicle if it gets stolen. 4. Don’t leave the engine running. Believe me, it only takes a moment for a car
to be stolen. It could be that very moment you left it to
grab a coffee at a gas station. Or that time you started the engine on a cold
winter morning and went back inside to read your morning paper in the warmth of your house. Hey my car was here just a minute ago…. Speaking of your house …
5. Remember there is no such thing as totally
safe Even if you live in a calm neighborhood with
respectable adults around, bad guys can get in there, unless there are guards at the entrance
to the block. So when you park by your front door after
a hard day at work, you still have to lock your vehicle. In fact, double check if you did. Thieves cruise neighborhoods at night in search
of unlocked cars. You don't want them to be lucky, right? 6. Keep those windows closed, too. If they can stick one finger inside, criminals
will rock their way in to go further and get the door unlocked from the inside. So make it a ritual before your leave to check
if your windows are closed, too, not just doors. 7. Always keep an “eye” on your keys. (No, not literally – that would be creepy. [eyeball hang on the keychain])
Are you hiding them somewhere under your car not to get locked out some day? Criminals know about this little trick just
like they know about your house keys under the door mat. Uh huh. A handbag on a coffeeshop chair, the stairs
or a little table by the front door of your house aren't the perfect place for your keys
either. 8. Park in the right places
Don’t leave your four-wheeled friend in a dark neighborhood with a bad reputation
and no security cameras. Aim for a well-lit area and try to get as
close to business entrances as you can. Those places always have security cams. A parking garage is not the worst option,
but if it’s isolated, you’re putting yourself at risk. Again, try to stay close to a security cam
to discourage those bad guys. 9. Watch how you park it When you park your car, always use emergency
brake and lock the steering wheel. Make sure there is some obstacle, like a wall
or curb in front of the vehicle. It will give thieves a much harder time trying
to tow away your property. This is especially powerful on an incline. Do you park car this way? Let me know in the comment section below. 10. Be careful with public parking lots It comes in handy to leave your vehicle as
you go shopping, watch a game of sports or fly away (with or without a plane), but public
parking lots are all thieves' favorite. Because they are open to the general public,
anyone can wander around picking the car they like and checking if it has any security measures. So be extra careful when you must park there
and try to find a spot closest to the building entrance and under a security cam. 11. Don't try to overhide your car So you've found a perfect dark isolated spot
for your ride in the parking garage of your apartment complex, thinking it's safe because
no one will find it. Well, thieves will! And they're going to love it. Isolation means less attention to them, as
well. And since they're smart and usually get in
there at night, chances are no one will interrupt them at all. And if someone does walk in there, they'll
hear it and have enough time to disappear. 12. Don’t ignore physical extra precautions A lot of insurance companies offer good deals
to car owners that care to install physical anti-theft devices. They know bad guys will think twice and most
likely decide not to try breaking into a well-protected vehicle. There are all sorts of locks: a steering wheel
lock also known as the club, tire lock (this one is often used by the police on improperly
parked vehicles), and hood locks. A baby monitor with night vision and audio
can also scare away criminals. And if not, you'll have perfect proof they
were there. Car alarm also works as an excellent thief-deterrant
with its loud sound. 13. Don’t leave your vehicle registration inside Leaving your vehicle registration in the car
is like giving carte blanche to criminals. They can easily present it to police officers
when stopped. And your insurance information and VIN can
help them get new keys made to unlock the car no problem. If you aren’t the only person using the
car, find some secret place to hide the registration and only tell your closest buds about it. 14. Your car manual doesn’t belong there either It’s not the instructions on how to work
that machine the thieves are after. It’s the secret valet key you might even
not know about. You can normally find it in the back of the
manual or pop it out of a plastic insert. And you can unlock the driver’s door and
even start the vehicle with it! 15. Take extra care if you have an older car. Thieves do love luxury sports cars, but they
will often aim for an older ride just because it's way easier to steal. Cars manufactured more than 20 years ago have
an ignition system that's really easy to crack if you know how to do it. So if you're a vintage fan, add some physical
protection to your favorite set of wheels. 16. There is no such thing as «unwanted» car
Thieves steal cars of different makes and even colors for different jobs. An anonymous-looking white van, for example,
is perfect for transporting stolen things. Some cars are stolen for older hard-to-find
details, others – for their super powerful engines. 17. Spice up your life If your ride is particularly desirable to
thieves and hard to get, they can start spying on you to figure out the best time to get
it. So if you start your engine every day at 8,
then stop at the same coffee shop and drive away to your office on the same route, you
might be helping them plan a crime. They could plot an attack when they find the
weakest link of this logical sequence. So shuffle things up a bit. 18. Install a tracking system
If your car isn't equipped with it, get it a GPS tracker. It might not prevent the worst from happening,
but it will be super helpful at locating your ride if it gets stolen. Or there’s my personal favorite. You can forget about all 18 of these ideas
if you simply take public transit. No worries. Okay that’s too simple. Alternatively, you can choose to drive a really
well maintained pre-owned car that looks like junk from the outside. Highly likely it’ll be there the next morning. Hey, if you learned something new today, then
give the video a like and share it with a friend! And here are some other videos I think you'll
enjoy. Just click to the left or right, and stay
on the Bright Side of life!
