November 8, 2021
Protect Your Auto from Thieves with These 5 Tips
Photo by Erik Mclean under Pexels License
Planning to buy a new car? You need to consider many factors before making the purchase.
First, there’s the issue of safety. You may want to pore through vehicle reviews to check for recall reports, buyers’ testimonials, and performance concerns raised by drivers. Second, you have to check whether the car model you’re planning to buy has good value for money and whether or not the features that come with the car match its price tag. You also have to get a car that suits your tastes in terms of design.
Some car buyers go the extra mile to check whether the cars they’re eyeing are equally appealing to car thieves.
Based on data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the most stolen car in the U.S. in 2019 was the Ford Pickup 2006 model. The report shows that 38,938 such Ford models were stolen in the country that year.
Thieves seem to have a penchant for pickups because the 2004 Chevrolet Pickup was in third place with 32,358 thefts. The Dodge Pickup (2001 model) and the GMC Pickup (2018 edition) were the eighth and ninth most stolen cars with 11,292 and 11, 164 units stolen.
The second most stolen car in the U.S. was the 2000 model Honda Civic with 33,220 units stolen. Another Honda model, the Accord, also seemed to be a magnet for car thieves because 30,754 of its units were stolen in 2019 to rank 4th in the list of most stolen cars. The Honda CRV also made it to the Top 10 with 10,094 units lost to rank 10th in the list.
Also included in the list were the Toyota Camry 2000 model (5th place with 15, 656 stolen units); the Nissan Altima (6th place with 13,355 stolen units), and the Toyota Corolla 2018 model (7th place with 12,137 stolen units).
How You Can Protect Your Vehicle from Being Stolen
There are many ways to protect your vehicle from car thieves who look for every possible opportunity to prey on unsuspecting vehicles. Here are some of them:
- Lock your doors.
Make sure that before you leave your vehicle, the doors are locked. This prevents thieves from driving away with your auto.
- Don’t be negligent.
Do not leave your car keys in the ignition even if you are only stepping away from your vehicle for a little while. Don’t make it easy for thieves to steal your car. Do not leave your spare keys on the glove box or under the car. Keep it with you instead.
- Make sure your windows are completely closed.
Even a small opening from your windows can present an opportunity for a cunning car thief to open your car doors and gain full access to your vehicle.
- Park in well-lit areas.
Park your car in areas that are visible to many people so that suspicious characters can easily be noticed even by passersby.
- Install an alarm.
A car alarm is a good investment because it makes a noise that draws attention when someone tries to unlock your car to gain entry. An immobilizing device and a tracking device may also be good investments.
Are You Thinking of Retiring Your Old Car?
You can certainly protect your precious car from unscrupulous criminals, but you can’t stop it from aging and losing its appeal and power over time. If your car has reached that point when you need to retire it, you can still make good use of it by donating it to us here at Veteran Car Donations. We’ll use it to improve the lives of the struggling disadvantaged veterans in your local area.
Once we get hold of your automobile, we’ll have it auctioned off. We will then transfer the proceeds to our charity partners, enabling them to render services to more needy veterans in your area. These are our former troops who are living miserable lives due to homelessness, inability to find jobs, service-connected disabilities, and illnesses, including mental health issues.
Your donated vehicle will help our charity partners in providing them with free quality health care, financial aid, housing assistance, employment opportunities, family support, educational scholarships, psychotherapy services, and many other benefits.
As our token of gratitude, we’ll be sending you the 100% tax-deductible sales receipt of your vehicle, which will entitle you to claim the maximum tax deduction in the next tax season. You will also benefit from our free pickup and towing services.
More valuable than these material rewards, you’ll get to experience the priceless joy and satisfaction of giving away something that will be used to help improve the lives of our nation’s heroes.
You can donate almost any type of vehicle whether in good condition or not. You can make such a donation anywhere in the country since we have vehicle donation programs in all 50 states.
For more information about our program, you may browse through our FAQs page. Send us a message here if you have any concerns or inquiries, or give us a call at 877-594-5822.
Get Started with Your Car Donation Today!
Photo by Juan Montes under Pexels License
Our veterans willingly put their lives on the line to keep all of us safe and protected. Donating a vehicle for their benefit gives you the opportunity to give back to them. You can make such a donation right now by calling Veteran Car Donations at 877-594-5822 or filling out our online donation form.
Last Updated: March 8th, 2023