If you have ever had someone break into your car, you are well aware that this is a scary situation. The fear of being followed or not knowing what they might do with your belongings can be paralysing. Consider the following steps to help protect yourself when this happens.
Report the Break-In Immediately if You Have Missing Personal Effects
One of the uncommon road rules is to report a break-in if you have any personal items missing. If you fail to do so and the police stop you for some reason, they will question why your vehicle was broken into if there isn’t a record of it with law enforcement.
Additionally, do not touch anything inside the vehicle that may be essential for evidence purposes, especially fingerprints and DNA samples.
Call a Car Locksmith To Change Your Locks
The best solution is to change all the locks in your car. Most cars have door locks, trunk locks and ignition switch locks accessible for thieves to pick with a paperclip or screwdriver tip.
Call an emergency locksmith to make you new keys, and locks. Some locksmiths can even come to your location and change the locks on site. However, if you feel safe in your car, call a tow truck or cab until all of the new keys are ready for your vehicle.
Install Security Measures
Install security measures on your car. For example, get a club, steering wheel lock or another device that makes it more difficult for someone to enter the vehicle and drive away with it.
An easy way to keep robbers from entering is by keeping all doors locked at all times. If you are sitting in the back seat of your car when this happens, slide down on the seat and remain there until you are sure the intruder has left.
Never leave your GPS device in a place outsiders can see from outside your vehicle or have service information displayed on any screen visible from outside. This is very important because thieves will know exactly what type of system they’re dealing with when breaking into your car.
File an Insurance Claim
If the thief breaks into your car, vandalises it or steals something, you should report this to the police, then follow with a car insurance claim.
Report anything that is missing, such as personal belongings, when filing the claim. Make sure to note any damages or vandalism that occurred, then file your insurance claim with your insurer as soon as possible.
Conclusion
You should always try to keep your car locked even when parked at home. If you do have a garage, make sure to close the door between the driveway and garage so that no one can get into your house through there. In addition, if you see someone around or in your vehicle, call 911 immediately using either a phone in your car or from a neighbour’s phone. Finally, remember not to leave anything of value out in plain sight and always keep the doors locked when driving, even while stopped at traffic lights.
