Five Sure-Fire Ways to Get your Car Stolen
Most people would say their car is one of the most valuable assets they own — if not the most valuable. Despite that, however, some people make it downright easy for thieves to drive off in their pride and joy.
At Executive Edge Insurance in Merced, we don’t want you walking out your door to an empty driveway or leaving the Merced Mall only to find some broken glass left behind in your parking space. So take care to avoid these five mistakes.
Leave your car running ... and unattended. Who wants to stand there and watch the car warm up in the winter or cool down in the summer? Nobody does EXCEPT a car theif. They don’t mind waiting at all., In fact a car theif will be thanking you for getting it ready for them as they drive away. You made their job easy, why yes you did!
Keep a spare set of keys inside the car. Law enforcement agencies say this is a great way to turn a car prowler into a car thief. They’re already breaking into your car to get a phone, or a laptop, etc. What do you think they’re going to do when they find a set of keys? They’re not going to drop them off on your porch with a nice note, that’s for sure. And yes they do know about the spare key you have magnetically attached the wheel well.
Put valuables in plain sight. I don’t there’s a person alive who owns a car that hasn’t done this. You run out to do some errands and in your hurry you throw bags of purchased items in the front seat, back seat, floorboards and sometimes even in the back window. I have seen it. I once knew a man that kept every piece of mail he received inside his car. From the outside he looked homeless but if you knew him you would know that he was financially well off; his car was his preferred method of filing. Leaving the goods in plain sight is a way of attracting unwanted attention. Car theives love nothing more than finding a gold mine inside a car. Go ahead, feel free to tempt the theif with high priced items in plain view.
Leave your car unsecured. Ever heard the old saying “a thief comes in the night?” The saying is meant to jar you awake, to be on your toes, to make you aware that when you are vulnerable someone might take something from you and it couldn’t be more true. Lacsidaisical behavior like not locking the doors or setting the car alarm is a sure sign to a theif that you’ve gotten so comfy that you probably won’t even notice your car got stolen. If you want your car stolen don’t bother to make sure it has been secured.
Assume nobody would want to steal your car. Think your car is too old or too undesirable for a thief to bother? Scrap metal is worth money, so never assume that your car is safe — even if you think it’s just a “junker.” Did you know a 1989 Toyota made the top 10 list of cars stolen each year? That’s a 25 year old car that I betcha the owners thought was too old to be considered “steal worthy.” Just because you wouldn’t steal a car that old doesn’t mean a theif wouldn’t.
There was a report put out by the NCIB in 2007 that listed the top 10 cars stolen each year. Here’s that list.
1: 1995 Honda Civic
2: 1991 Honda Accord
3: 1989 Toyota Camry
4: 1997 Ford F-150 Series Pickup
5: 2005 Dodge Ram Pickup
6: 1994 Chevy C/K 1500 Pickup
7: 1994 Nissan Sentra
8: 1994 Dodge Caravan
9: 1994 Saturn SL
10: 1990 Acura Integra
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Kelly Spies
Executive Edge Insurance Services
320 E Yosemite Ave Ste 101
Merced, Ca 95340
209-385-EDGE
