Keep your car from becoming a target
Hooligans would love to do their damage, but there are ways to discourage them.
BY DEBORAH SKOLNIK
A mounted cam may help scare off would-be vandals.
[Photo by Viktor Hanacek from picjumbo.com]
In the wake of last weekend’s mayhem—many Scarsdale and Edgemont residents woke to find the windows of their cars smashed—you’re probably been wondering how to help keep your car out of the crosshairs. To find out, the Insider turned to Gordian Hense, managing director of car enthusiast website Carmart.ch. Hense, who has extensive experience helping owners safeguard their vehicles, recommends the following steps:
Be picky about parking spots. It’s best to choose well-lit, high-traffic areas. (If you’re on a quiet street, try to get a spot within the beam of the streetlight.)
Turn to tech. “Parking close to surveillance cameras or even installing a dash cam that records 24/7 can be a significant deterrent,” Hense said. The good news is that dash cams don’t have to break the bank. Just Googling Best Buy this week, it’s clear that even an upper-end model can be had on sale for around $300, and there are plenty of less expensive ones, some under $100.
Be alarmed. While car alarms that make horns honk repeatedly are mostly a thing of the past (yay!), modern systems that connect to your smartphone can alert you to trouble in real-time and scare off potential vandals. Added Hense: “Immobilizer systems add another layer of security, preventing the car from being hot-wired."
Go retro. Why put outdated security gadgets in your car, you may ask. Just the sight of a steering wheel lock, or tire locks, can make a vandal decide your car isn’t such a easy conquest Hense explained.
Maintain your car inside and out. You may not have thought of this tip, but it actually sends a message to people who want to mess with your wheels. “A well-kept car gives the impression that the owner is vigilant, and there are fewer incentives for vandals to target it,” Hense said.
Start or participate in a local neighborhood watch program or community group. Knowing your neighbors, and working alongside them, makes the entire area safer—and all the cars within it.
One final bit of wisdom from Hense: "Vandalism is often a crime of opportunity. The more difficult and risky you make it for vandals to target your car, the more likely they are to move on,” he says. Help them do just that.