Warning: vehicle thefts increase in the summer months

Here are some tips to keep your vehicle from being stolen.

1. Always lock your vehicle and take your keys.

2. Park your vehicle inside your garage and lock it.

3. Park in well lit areas whenever possible.

4. When parking on a street, turn the steering wheel so the tires point to the curb, and apply your vehicle’s parking brake.

5. Consider adding an alarm or other deterrent, or if you’re buying a new car, look for models that offer advanced options such as immobilizers, steering wheel locks, kill switches or vehicle-tracking devices.

6. Don’t leave valuables visible in your vehicle. That purse, cell phone, iPod or laptop can disappear in a heartbeat. Thieves also are targeting vehicles that have brackets for GPS devices, assuming people who have the brackets leave the gizmos in the glove box. Other popular targets include tires and rims, catalytic converters, airbags and other components that can be easily resold on the black market.

A vehicle can be broken into in 30 seconds and stripped in less than six minutes.

Labels: vehicles cars trucks

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