10 tips to protect your car from thieves

According to the National Insurance Bureau, a car is stolen every 6.5 minutes in the United States. While it may not be possible to completely eliminate the risk of getting your car stolen, here are some precautions you can take to hinder would-be thieves.

1. Never leave your car running and unattended, even if it’s in your driveway.

2. Don’t leave your key inside your car and never hide a spare inside or outside the car. Thieves know to look for magnetic boxes.

3. If you have an electronic key, carry it in a pouch that blocks radio frequency identification (RFID) signals. At home, don’t leave it near the front door: electronic keys can be cloned from the other side of the door.

4. Always lock your doors and close all the windows when you’re not in the car.

5. Look for well-lit and busy parking lots. If there’s an attendant, only leave them your car key, not your entire keychain.

6. Install a good antitheft system and make sure your remote starter doesn’t compromise its usefulness. Marked parts, blinking security lights and steering wheel locks are other devices that will deter thieves.

7. When you park, turn the steering wheel all the way to one side, lock the steering wheel and engage the handbrake. This will make theft by tow truck more difficult.

8. Don’t attach a label with your name and address to your keychain.

9. Before you arrive at your destination, move your valuables to the trunk. Doing so when you get there is potentially dangerous, as someone might see you.

10. Don’t leave your insurance and registration papers in the car; a thief could convince a police officer that they simply borrowed the vehicle from you.

Did you know? Some thieves can steal your car in less than 30 seconds.