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Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Precautions
 


  • Remove your keys from the ignition and take your keys with you.

  • Lock your vehicle.

  • Never hide a second set of keys in your vehicle.

  • Park in attended lots.

  • If you park in an attended lot, leave only the ignition/door key.

  • Park in well-lighted areas.

  • Never leave your vehicle running, even if you will only be gone for a minute.

  • Completely close all vehicle windows when parking.

  • Do not leave valuables in plain sight.

  • Park with your wheels turned towards the curb to make your vehicle more difficult to tow away.

  • If your vehicle is rear-wheel drive, backing into your driveway will also make it more difficult for a thief to tow it away.

  • Garage your vehicle if you have one and always remember to lock the garage door.

  • Do not leave the registration or title in your vehicle.

  • Always use your emergency brake when parking, which ensures safety and also makes it difficult for a thief to tow your vehicle away.

  • Etch your vehicle identification number on car windows and major parts. This procedure makes vehicles and parts more easily traceable when stolen.

  • Disable your vehicle when leaving it unattended for an extended period of time.

  • Engrave expensive accessories like car stereos, cellular phones, compact disc changers, external speakers, etc., so that the thief will have difficulty disposing of them.

  • Drop business cards, address labels or other identification inside vehicle doors to help assist law enforcement in identifying your vehicle or parts.

  • Replace easily accessible door lock assemblies.

  • Install an antitheft device or system on your vehicle as an extra deterrent measure.

September 6, 2006
U.S. Department of Transportation USA Gov - Your First Click to the U.S. Government