Tips To Keep Your Car and Your Auto Insurance Safe From Theft

One of the worst moments in any car owner’s life is the moment they step out of their home or place of employment only to discover an empty parking spot where their car used to be. There’s a sense of violation (coupled with a healthy dose of horror) that comes from realizing your car has been stolen right out from under your nose-and the unpleasant realization that you’re going to have to tell your auto insurance company about it.

The good news is, if you’ve purchased comprehensive coverage for your car you’re protected from the financial issues of having your car stolen. Your insurance company should replace it for you in full. And since auto theft is usually considered to be way up there on the list of things you don’t have any control over your car insurance rates shouldn’t go up at all. So in the grand scheme of things having your car stolen isn’t the worst thing that could happen to you (although having to replace everything you had in your car isn’t going to be cheap).

The downside is that while they’re processing your claim and your payment you’re going to be left wheel-less.

All things considered, the feeling of horror that usually accompanies the idea of your car being stolen far outweighs the potential benefits of having it replaced by whichever of the nationwide auto insurance companies you happen to be working with. (Most of today’s major auto insurance companies now operate on a national rather than local basis.) Keeping that in mind, it’s a good idea to do everything you can to keep your car safe, sound and parked in the same place you left it!

When you first bought your auto insurance policy you undoubtedly filled out a questionnaire about your car’s safety features-things like anti-lock brakes, seat belts, and…yes, that’s right…your car alarm! These kind of built in security features can go a long way toward keeping your car safe when it’s out in public (along with knocking at least 10% off of your auto insurance!). If you’re looking for a way to make sure your car stays put you may want to consider investing in one of the following:

1) A car alarm.

2) A GPS tracking locator that makes it easy to follow your car when anxious thieves decide it needs to be liberated for its own good.

3) A fuel switch that makes it impossible for the criminal element to get your car started in the first place. Or even if they do, it should take them long enough to find the security switch that you can catch them before they take off.

4) The Club. Yes, it’s old school, but you know what? It works!

Along with the extra security paraphernalia there are some basic guidelines you want to keep in mind when you’re out and about. Always lock your car when you walk away from it, even if you’re keeping it in sight, and never leave your keys on the front seat-or even worse, in the ignition! And try not to leave expensive equipment out where it’s readily obvious. There’s not much you can do to cover up your high class stereo system, but your $2,000 computer can be safely tucked away in your trunk where passersby aren’t going to notice and decide to see how much they can get for it (and your car) out on the open market!

No one WANTS to have their car stolen, but auto theft is a fact of life for every driver-no matter where you live. It’s good to know that your auto insurance company is going to help you replace your investment if disaster does happen to strike, but do you really want to have to wait around until they decide to cut you a check? In this case an ounce of prevention is worth about $5-10,000 of cure.

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