None of us want to experience that stomach sinking feeling of discovering that your car has been broken into. It’s gut wrenching. This happened to me about two years ago in Parkhurst. I met up with a girlfriend for a quick drink after work, I was 1.5h, I had parked on the street, close to the restaurant. When I returned, I noticed that my car door handle had been tampered with. I checked the boot and backseat quickly, to ensure no-one was in my vehicle and then I drove off to the nearest police station.
I had my purse with me, so the only thing taken, was my gorgeous Kiki Milano leather handbag, my makeup bag (insert crying face), and a few nik naks. The feeling of knowing someone had rummaged through my belongings was so invasive. I actually landed up selling the car a few months later, as I felt like I was going to have an anxiety attack every time I climbed into it. The only thing that could’ve been worse, is returning to find your car missing entirely.
Here are some tips and suggestions from motus.cars to help you protect your car and the belongings inside it :
Be cautious about where you park your car.
Park your vehicle in a well-lit, secure space preferably where there is security guard. When possible, park in a secure garage. Personally, I parked under a street lamp, 10m away from where I was sitting and I never saw a thing. These criminals are absolute professionals. There were three security guards in the vicinity and no-one saw anything. Since then I’ve also never tipped a car guard in Parkhurst. If you can park in a paid parking area as opposed to on the street, please do.
One of the simplest ways to protect your car is to lock the doors and close the windows:
Whether you are in the car or not (keep them closed and locked when driving too). Additionally, ensure nothing valuable is visible from the outside of the vehicle, and don’t let anyone see you placing anything in the boot.
Be aware of remote jamming:
When you lock your car, physically check that the door handle is locked. Even if the locked alarm sound has activated. The rising trend in theft, is the use of remote jamming devices, which stops the car from locking and you’re completely unaware of this unless you double check that the vehicle is locked.
Never leave your keys in your vehicle:
Even if you’re just getting out of the car to open the gate, and be mindful of where you keep your spare key. I keep mine in my safe, with my passport.
Be vigilant as you get out of your car:
Opportunistic criminals who appear to be simply walking by, could take a chance by opening the car door just before you are able to lock it.
Install extra security features:
Like a vehicle immobiliser, steering wheel lock and anti-smash-and-grab film on your windows to offer an additional layer of protection against break-ins.
Be extra alert when stopped at traffic lights and when approaching driveways:
Ensure your car radio is off and focus on your surroundings. Check all your mirrors and your blind spots. Definitely do not text at robots.
Its interesting to note that according to STATSAA, there were an estimated 88 000 incidences of theft of motor vehicles in SA during 2019/201, and according to SAPS crime stats2, there were approximately 22 697 incidences of people who were victims of the theft of valuables from inside their cars during 2020.
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