Car Theft Safety Tips

Here are some ways to help drivers protect their vehicles:

• Keep your vehicle locked at all times, even while driving. Unlocked doors are easy targets.
• When parked, never leave your keys in the car. Ensure windows are fully closed to prevent a thief from trying to open the door from the inside.
• Never leave your car running and unattended. Even if your doors are locked, a carjacker only has to break a window to get in.
• Avoid leaving valuables inside your vehicle. Keep high-value items like phones, purses, or other valuables hidden. Put valuables in your trunk before you get where you're going.
• Do not leave your vehicle title in the car. Too often a car thief is pulled over and gets away from the police because he or she can produce the auto registration. (If multiple drivers use the vehicle, the best suggestion would be to hide the registration in a secret location in the car that only the owners know.)
• Know where you're going. Avoid known high crime areas even if the alternate route takes longer.
• Install an anti-theft system in your vehicle if it doesn't have one. Thieves are reluctant to steal vehicles if they know the cars can be recovered quickly. Many insurers offer discounts for the types of systems listed below.
• Thieves prefer to work in the dark. Be particularly cautious at night about where you park your car. Park it in a well-lit area if possible.
• Look around, especially in garages, parking lots and gas stations. If you notice someone loitering, consider moving your car.
• Have your car's vehicle identification number (VIN) etched on each of the windows. Car thieves want to get off cheap. They don't want to go to the expense of replacing all the glass.
• On an incline, leave your car in park or in gear with the wheels turned toward the curb or some other obstruction. This makes it harder for thieves to tow your vehicle.
• If confronted by a carjacker, do not resist. Cars can be replaced; you can't.

View more tips from the National Transportation Safety Board.