Tuning in to the news recently, I watched the usual traffic, weather, and current event reports. Then, as if a new phenomenon emerged from a hidden abyss, a reporter discussed a recent rash of invasions committed against unlocked vehicles.
Thieves are creatures of opportunity, and an unlocked vehicle is an open invitation for them to peruse its contents. It doesn’t matter where a person lives or the type of vehicle an individual drives; a thief will take anything of value from whoever owns that value whenever possible.
If a vehicle is unlocked, even if nothing of value is immediately visible in it, curious thieves will rummage through armrest compartments, glove compartments, and under seats. They will search every nook and cranny in a vehicle until they either have something useful or find nothing worth stealing after an exhaustive search.
What if you don’t leave anything valuable in your vehicle? Is it still important to lock your doors?
Absolutely.
Thieves don’t care if they damage parts of your car or items in it during a search for valuable objects. They don’t care how much of a mess they make while digging through your personal possessions. The car doesn’t belong to them, and they’ll never have to deal with the expense and time it takes to repair any damage they cause. Even if you have substantial car insurance coverage, the damage a thief causes to your vehicle could be less than your deductible, forcing you to pay for repairs out of your own pocket.
Don’t let a lazy thief cause you grief and financial loss. Always lock your doors and hide personal possessions from plain sight whenever you’re away from your vehicle. These simple tips may not stop all thieves from breaking into your vehicle, but they will make some criminals more likely to move on to easier targets, effectively cloaking your vehicle from their criminal radars.