Defensive drivers protect their cars like protecting themselves. – A. Cantos
You have read and learned about Defensive Driving, you’ve known helpful Driving Tips and lots about Road Safety. Now let’s put on some extra tips on how you can protect your car and yourself.
Apart from other vehicles around and objects or people you might hit on the road what other factors you, as a defensive driver, should be most aware of? In countries where vehicle crime is high, one should be most aware of people around him. This is the most primary line of defense one should have to protect himself and his vehicle.
Vehicle crimes are most generally referred as ‘Grand Theft Auto’. Two of the most common are Carjacking and Car theft. Other car crimes include flatting your tires down and breaking your windshields. In some countries, side mirrors and even wheels sometimes get stolen.
Here are some ways to protect yourself and your car and out smart the criminals.
- Use safety gadgets. Sound alarms are very useful. Before a criminal totally drove your car, he might have had everyones attention to him already. Maneuvering wheel lock will also be helpful. In case the criminal easily broke in, he will definitely have a hard time cutting that very hard piece of steel. A tracking system might also be installed, so if in case he still managed to drive your car, you will be able to follow where he goes.
- Don’t leave your car alone. Sometimes there’s nobody to close the garage for us. So what we usually do is take out the car from the garage, come out of the car without turning the engine off and close the garage. Don’t do this unless you have someone in the car who can alert you when somebody is approaching with malicious intents.We also sometimes do this when we want to check the tires or anything annoyingly noisy during a smooth ride home. Unless you really feel that you need to check what is it, don’t leave your car. And if you really have to come out, turn the engine off, lock the door.
Do not attract the criminals. Not just your cars interest the criminals. When leaving your car in an open parking, make sure to hide all the things that can easily be seen that attract evil eyes. A single penny or your favorite baseball bobble head is enough to make them break your windshields. Don’t like this happen, do you?- Use different routes. If you own a sports car, or an elegant Mercedes Benz, you can be a carjackers target, more likely. It is usually a part of a plan to monitor where the target goes and what time they usually see you. To prevent them from catching your rythm on the street, use different routes when going to and from your destinations.
Bike Locks (for motorbikes). This thing is very important but you must know how to use it properly. You can lock the wheels with the chassis but it’s not the right way to do it. Worst case, criminals will just lift your bike and put it in their getaway vehicle. When you park your bike, choose a place where there is something you can mount your bike to. It must be a fixed object and the chain must not slip out of it.