Did you know that a professional thief can steal your vehicle in only 30 seconds, and they don\u2019t even need the key to do it? That shocking statistic is the basis for the award-winning “Lock It or Lose It\u201d campaign run by the OPP and supported by the Insurance Bureau of Canada.<\/p>\n
The campaign is a crime prevention initiative that encourages drivers to take simple, common-sense precautions with their vehicles at this theft-prone time of the year. We\u2019ve seen this campaign take many shapes and forms over the years, and oddly enough, people are still leaving their vehicles unlocked and their valuables in sight.<\/p>\n
What does this mean for you?<\/p>\n
Auto theft and crime can be devastating, so why take the chances with your valuables? The program reminds drivers to take simple steps to ensure the safety of their vehicles and their purchases.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a look at the four things you should always do when exiting your vehicle.<\/p>\n
First, it\u2019s cold outside. Why leave your windows open, anyway? Certainly this is a more relevant reminder during warmer times of the year, but it still happens even when the snow is falling. Put all the windows up so that no one has access to the inside of your vehicle\u2014you\u2019d be surprised what a professional thief can do with just a half a centimeter of space.<\/p>\n
No, you can\u2019t just throw a coat over your packages and assume that no one will be able to tell what they are! If you can look into your back window and can tell, then a professional thief will be able to tell, too. Put packages and purchases in your trunk, or take them inside with you at each stop. When they\u2019re out of sight, your vehicle presents a much less tempting target. No thief is going to waste time and risk breaking into a car if they\u2019re not sure there\u2019ll be a reward for doing so!<\/p>\n
This may seem like a no-brainer, but thieves are savvy and watchful. Just running in the house for a few minutes? If you\u2019ve left packages in your car, or your doors unlocked, you\u2019ve practically left a flashing neon sign for thieves.<\/p>\n
When out and about in town, lock your door at each and every stop. Double check if you have to, because an unlocked car is an invitation for trouble.<\/p>\n
Pocket them, zip them up in your bag, or wear them around your neck on a lanyard. Don\u2019t leave them in plain sight, hanging out of your bag or halfway out of your coat. This is similar to your valuables\u2014placing keys out of sight removes their theft from the equation. And wearing them around your neck makes them visible to you at all times. Even an amateur thief will have no problem removing unsecured keys and walking around the parking lot to find your vehicle\u2014newer cars have electric key fobs, and all a thief needs to do is wander the lot pressing the buttons until they find your car.<\/p>\n
Lock it or Lose it! The key to preventing theft from vehicles starts with YOU! Hopefully next time you\u2019re out and about, you\u2019ll remember to place all valuables out of sight and secure that vehicle! And tell a friend, too. Let\u2019s all work to discourage car theft!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Did you know that a professional thief can steal your vehicle in only 30 seconds, and they don\u2019t even need the key to do it?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[504],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetouchupspot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetouchupspot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetouchupspot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetouchupspot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetouchupspot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=475"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/thetouchupspot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":751,"href":"https:\/\/thetouchupspot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475\/revisions\/751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetouchupspot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thetouchupspot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetouchupspot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thetouchupspot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}