Seven Ways to Stay Safe from Carjackers

The holidays should be all about “comfort and joy,” not fear. But in the days just before and after Christmas, desperate criminals know that motorists have money and expensive gifts in their automobiles. That makes every vehicle a potential target for carjackers.

However, staying alert and following a few simple tips can help to safeguard you, your loved ones and your stuff from criminals. Consider these seven ways to keep safe:

• Watch where you park. Especially when shopping, park in a well-lit part of the parking lot. Try not to be too isolated. Finally, remember where you park. If you have to search for your vehicle, you might forget to monitor your surroundings for suspicious people.
• Keep car keys in a different place than your house keys. Remember, if your car stolen, your registration will list your home address. You don’t want the criminal also to have your house keys.
• Avoid dark, lonely roads. The more traffic around, the better chance you’ll have of getting help. The criminal likely won’t try anything if there are witnesses around.
• Lock your car doors and keep the windows up. It’s easier to unlock them to let a friend or family member in than to quickly reach for the lock in an emergency.
• Keep your distance. When you pull up to a stoplight or stop sign or even are briefly stopped in traffic, leave at least half a car length between you and the vehicle ahead. This will allow you to pull around that car should there be trouble.
• Be prepared. Make sure you have emergency numbers programmed in your cellphone, and have it ready should anyone approach. Just the sight of you with the cellphone might scare some criminals off.
• Know when to surrender. No car is worth your life or that of a family member. If worst comes to worst, let the carjacker have the vehicle. Don’t worry about your stuff. If there is a small child in the backseat, make sure the carjacker knows and try to get the child out.

Taking these steps won’t guarantee your safety. But they will make it much harder for the carjacker and could cause him to look elsewhere for a victim.

Source: AutoInsurance