Our cars are vital to our lives. They get us to work and school. They become sentimental to us when we drive them for years, tying them to events in our lives that we remember forever. For both practical and personal reasons, it’s important to keep your vehicle maintained and secure from any danger.
If you live in an area with a lot of criminal activity, it’s more important than ever to think about how you can keep your car safe. Park your car inside a garage if you can. Install an anti-theft system or update the one already in your car. You can also get an anti-theft insurance discount from your insurance company, incentivizing you to stay safe.
We’ll also talk about how to maintain the functionality of your car. Topics like keeping the car clean, maintaining the brakes, and buying comprehensive coverage will all be discussed below.
#1 – Protect Your Car From Criminals
Whether you live in a high-crime neighborhood, or you simply want to take precautions to prevent vehicle vandalism or theft, it’s important to protect your car from people who are interested in damaging or stealing it. Let’s cover some of the best ways to prevent damage.
Lock Your Car
It may sound silly to repeat, but some people really do take for granted the basic safety afforded by simply locking your car doors. New car technology has been implemented in many vehicles, such as key fobs that lock the doors automatically when you’re a few feet away from the vehicle. This is great for those who forget to lock their car manually.
Park in the Garage
Getting your car stolen right outside your house is definitely a risk in a lot of high-crime areas. Clear out your garage if you have one, and park your car inside so you can avoid giving easy access to your vehicle to criminals on the street.
If your car is parked inside, it will force vandals to break into your home to get to the vehicle, and many criminals aren’t as willing to do that.
Install an Anti-Theft System
Anti-theft systems have become increasingly popular in modern vehicles. Sometimes they’re already installed in new vehicles, and other times you have to add them to older vehicles. An anti-theft system can be something like an alarm that goes off when someone breaks in, or a tracking device to show the authorities where your car is if it’s been stolen.
You may get insurance discounts if you’re driving a car with an anti-theft system. Auto insurers may find you to be a less risky customer than someone who is driving a car without any anti-theft technology installed. Anti-theft systems are great for safety and security and they are financially practical.
Click here – Everything You Need to Know About Buying a New Car
Find Out What Cars Are Most Frequently Stolen
You can bring down your risk of being a victim of car theft by purchasing a vehicle that isn’t frequently stolen or vandalized. According to Kelly Blue Book, some of the most common stolen cars are the Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Chevy Silverado, and GMC Sierra.
Sports cars are also frequently a victim of criminal activity because they have valuable parts that can be stolen and re-sold for an enormous profit. This is why you should avoid buying a sports car unless you take every precaution to keep it safe.
#2 – Clean Your Car
You would think this would go without saying, but your car needs to be vacuumed, washed, and dried just like anything else you use on a daily basis. If you ignore dirt and debris on your vehicle, it can cause damage to your paint, and you may even have a hard time seeing out of the windshield while driving.
You might find that cleaning your car will transform it into something you’re really proud of and want to drive each day. It’s also a health hazard not to wipe down your surfaces in the car’s interior if you are constantly driving friends and family around.
The more people there are in your car, the higher your likelihood of getting sick from lingering germs and illnesses like COVID-19.
#3 – Keep Up With Repairs
Vehicles are just like people, as they get older, they need check-ups. Items like the motor, transmission, brakes and other important parts might need to be replaced to keep the car running properly. If you ignore these repairs, the car won’t run properly and it’ll bring the value of the vehicle down when you try to sell it.
If anything goes out quickly after purchasing the car, see if you’re still under the warranty set by the manufacturer. This will allow you to get the part fixed for a partially or completely discounted rate.
Buy Comprehensive Coverage
There’s also the matter of your car being damaged due to an accident. Buying comprehensive insurance coverage will help to pay for virtually anything that goes wrong and damages your car. Chipped windshields, dinged bumpers, scratched paint, and more are all covered under comprehensive coverage with most insurance companies.
Comprehensive coverage can be very expensive in some states and with certain insurance companies, though. Make sure you shop online for the best rates and don’t just make the first purchase you come across. Your driving behavior can also bring your insurance rates down.
Keep a clean driving record, don’t speed, and follow the rules of the road to get better rates on your insurance. This will make it easier to get comprehensive coverage if you’re struggling to find the money to make this purchase.
#4 – Drive Less
Another way to make sure your car lasts longer and stays looking great is to simply drive it less. Find some alternatives like working from home, riding your bike to the grocery store or taking public transit. The less you drive your vehicle, the longer it will last, too. Many people limit their miles driven in fancy cars they own, but you can do the same thing no matter what vehicle you own.
You can see there are many different ways to make sure your car is maintained and safe from threats. If you pay attention to the condition of your car and take safety precautions like getting car alarms and anti-theft systems installed, you’ll be in good shape.
Shawn Laib writes and researches for the insurance site, CarInsuranceComparison.com. He wants to make sure people understand the benefits of taking care of their motor vehicles.
