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| Car Security
Your car is an investment, and you
certainly want to protect it. Just like home
burglaries, auto theft is a crime of opportunity. It
often happens when people are distracted and not paying
attention.
A
vehicle is stolen every 23 seconds!
You can thwart car
thieves in the same way you stop home burglaries: Be alert
for thieves, be aware of their methods, and have a plan to
defeat them.
There's
more to vehicle security than guarding against theft and
vandalism. It also means protecting yourself from
auto-related crimes such as carjacking, robbery, and
violent road rage.
Watch out for these highway situations:
 | "Bump and
Rob" --
literally highway robbery. Crooks bump your car
from behind. When you get out to see the damage,
they rob you, steal the car -- or worse. Don't
get out of the car right away! Call police if
you have a cell phone, and get the license number if
you can. |
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Being
Followed
-- If you feel threatened by someone following you, drive
to a police or fire station, or a place where there
are lots of people. Call police on your cell
phone and follow the dispatcher's instructions. |
| Insurance
Traps
-- The perps create an accident, often at great risk
to themselves and their victims, in order to collect
lots of insurance money. Their prime targets:
Distracted drivers traveling alone, especially in
expensive cars. Don't eat, drink, put on
makeup, shave, or do anything else while driving
except drive! Use hands-free devices for your
cellular phone. |
The
more alert and aware
you become while driving, the better you can avoid crimes
and accidents! Drive safely! |
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Go Low-Tech! Steering wheel
locks such as The ClubŪ lock your steering wheel and
provide a strong visual deterrent against most car
thieves. It takes a lot of tools to try to
remove this device, and most thieves don't carry such
tools.
Steering wheel locks are
an economical way to protect your vehicle.
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Get A Car Alarm
System!
Learn to use it properly. Don't let
the alarm sound every time you get in or out of the
car. It's like crying "wolf," and people
will ignore the siren after a while.
Alarm remotes are great -- they make
good personal security devices since you can hit the
panic button and set off the car alarm.
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