Your car is your lifeline for daily activities, from work to dropping the kids off or simply running errands. You protect it with insurance on the road and drive defensively to avoid accidents, but how much awareness do you have when you park your vehicle?
The Prevalence of Car Vandalism
Consider the number of places your car is parked on a daily or weekly basis. Work. Grocery store. Gym. Movie theater. Church. Mall. Restaurant. The list goes on. Now consider how you find a parking space. Do you pull into whichever space is available? One closest to the door?
Where you park can greatly increase the risk of car vandalism, as can how you leave your car when you walk away. Car vandalism may be as small as a few scratches or as big as a broken window, shattered headlights, flat tire, or cut gas line. Some of these are accidental, but the bulk of car vandalism occurs because a vehicle is targeted.
Tips to Prevent Car Vandalism
Because car vandalism can sap hundreds of dollars in repairs or be stressful and messy to claim through insurance, it’s best to simply avoid the risk as much as possible. The seven tips below provide information to help you make better parking decisions and keep your vehicle safe!
1. Always opt for a garage or driveway. If you have a garage or access to a garage, use it. Vandals target vehicles with easy access, farther away from a home or building. Because of that, if you can’t park in a garage, try to park in a driveway or near the front entrance of a public building.
2. Park in well-lighted areas. No garage, driveway, or front entrance where you park? Instead look for well-lighted areas. Places without building or street lights are easy places to get away with car vandalism.
3. Park near other vehicles. Ideally, you should always park in places that have high foot and road traffic. More eyes and bodies around your car make it less likely that a vandal will chance being seen.
4. Look for security cameras. A camera is almost as effective as having an actual person or group of people around your vehicle. It means that someone might be watching. And even if no one sits and watches the footage, it’s a record of what goes on. Vandals will shy away from anywhere they can be caught in the act.
5. Invest in a car alarm. Car vandalism may be stopped by a simple sticker on your car that claims it has an alarm. Better yet, actually invest in an alarm if your car doesn’t come equipped with one. As soon as someone bumps or interacts with your car, the alarm will sound and scare that person away.
6. Keyless entry and ignition is key. Keys can be stolen. Tumblers in the car lock mechanism can be jammed. And even the traditional ignition may be cheated. However, most new vehicles with keyless entry pads have a lower car vandalism risk because there is no entry point.
7. Empty your vehicle. Reduce the risk of car vandalism and theft by removing valuable items from the inside of your vehicle. This includes a GPS system or visible stereo, in addition to items such as purses, gym bags, laptops, etc. Primarily, vandals want more than to wreak destruction.
Reduce Car Vandalism with Valet Parking
If you are attending a Minneapolis or St. Paul event, you might have the opportunity to utilize the valet services of Unparalleled Parking. By leaving your vehicle in the experienced hands of a valet attendant, you ensure your car’s safety and security. You have a team watching over your car to prevent can vandalism and deliver your vehicle back to you after a stress-free evening!
For information on Unparalleled Parking, our partner locations, and our valet services, call (651) 300-1515.