The best drivers and car owners are those who are in tune with their vehicles and those who take care of their cars. This process does not only encompass changing the oil or making sure that the brakes don’t sound like the chain gang. It also involves making sure that you are keeping your car as secure as possible.
Automotive thefts and crimes are anything but rare, so it is always important for drivers and car owners to be on the defensive. A big part of keeping your vehicle secure boils down to being attentive and alert at all times, and not just when you’re behind the wheel. Here are five security threats that car owners tend to overlook.
1. Risky Parking
When it comes to parking, there are those car owners who pay close attention to where they park, and there are those who park in the first available slot they see. The location in which you park your car plays a huge role in just how safe your vehicle is going to be.
It is always important to make sure that you park in a well-lit area that affords you a lot of visibility so that you always see what is going on around your vehicle. In addition to this, car owners should look for locations that ideally have some form of surveillance so that they can always track anything that happens to their vehicle.
2. Blatant Temptation
Many drivers (unknowingly) tend to bait burglars and criminals, and this is one sure fire way to threaten the security of your vehicle. Don’t leave anything that can be deemed valuable in plain view inside your car, especially when you are not monitoring the automobile.
Make sure you stow away that valuable item so it is obscured and not enticing. In a situation like this, a burglar might be tempted to break into your vehicle and take the object or worse yet, follow you home.
3. Car Alarm Maintenance
One of the biggest security threats car owners face comes about when they treat maintenance of their car security with a lackluster attitude. It is crucial to always test your car alarm, locks, and your GPS tracking (if applicable).
These features are put in place to make sure that you always have a safe experience, whether you are behind the wheel or not. In order for them to be properly effective, car owners must make sure that these security features are always properly maintained. The crux of this solution rests on car owners to be vigilant about every aspect of their vehicles.
4. Car Key Negligence
Surprisingly, many people put their car security at risk, simply by being negligent with their keys. In movies and TV shows, most cars are stolen because some abominable criminal somewhere was feeling compelled to steal your car. In most of these scenarios, the criminal forcibly breaks into your car. However, one of the easiest ways for someone to gain access to your car is a key.
There are many people who are not mindful of the manner in which they handle their car keys. This usually leads to car keys being lost or stolen, or even being duplicated without the car owner’s knowledge. To maintain the security of your car, it is crucial that you maintain full key control. If you happen to lose or misplace your key, make sure that you call a reputable auto locksmith, who can help you rekey your car locks as well as duplicate car keys.
5. Remote Access
Thanks to technological advancements, cars can now do things that only the creator of the Jetsons and the top minds of science fiction could ever dream of doing. Cars are now gradually becoming more connected with the things around us. Ever so slowly, we are being presented with the cars of the future. Thanks to newcomers like the IoT (Internet of Things), cars are now part of a much bigger organism that is geared towards making life easier and much more seamless.
However, this inclusion into the ‘network of things’ makes cars much more susceptible to cyber threats and remote access from authorized parties. This is something that many car owners are not yet aware of or accustomed to, and it is important that they do not overlook how serious of a security threat this is. To combat this, car owners have to manage their software and firmware updates, as well as implement stronger network security protocols for the networks that their vehicles access.
Car security really comes down to the car owner remaining vigilant and staying in tune with their vehicle as well as the things around them. There is no magical cure to make your car more secure. The burden pretty much rests with you.
Ralph Goodman is a professional writer and the resident expert on locks and security over at the Lock Blog. The Lock Blog is a great resource to learn about keys, locks and safety. They offer tips, advice and how-to’s for consumers, locksmiths, and security professionals.
