Four effective ways to prevent car theft

Imagine walking out of a shopping center or your front door and realizing your car has been stolen. Sadly, that’s the experience of owners of more than 700,000 stolen vehicles each year. That’s $4.1 billion worth of cars, trucks and SUVs. Close to half of these stolen vehicles were never recovered.

Did you know that you can help prevent the theft of your vehicle? Almost half of vehicle thefts can be prevented by making it a practice to do the following:

Choose well-lit parking spots. Ideally, you want to park close to the tall parking lot lights. If the parking lot is dark and secluded, reconsider parking there.

Lock all your doors and keep your windows closed. This includes your sunroof! Even if your neighborhood is safe and you’re parking in your own driveway, lock your vehicles at night!

Hide electronic devices and any other valuables. You don’t want to leave these in open view to anyone who might look in the window. Reconsider leaving your purse or wallet in your vehicle as well, even if it’s hidden. If you have a sedan, put them in the trunk.

Don’t leave your vehicle running or leave the keys, including a hidden spare key, when you aren’t in it.

If all precautions fail and your car is stolen, notify the police as soon as possible. The next call should be to your insurance company.