We’ve all seen the signs telling us not to leave valuables in our cars, but we sometimes assume it’s more probable that something will be taken if we take it to the beach, amusement parks, or on a hike through the woods.
There will be occasions when you forget something in the car before leaving, or when you need to accomplish a few things while travelling and can’t help but have some stuff in the car.
For whatever reason, you will need to conceal some stuff in your car at some point in order to lessen or eliminate your chances of being robbed.
If you leave items in plain sight, you risk someone breaking in or smashing a window to take the item while passing by and spotting an opportunity to take something they want.
There will also be thieves who will simply break in hoping to locate something valuable; in this case, make sure you haven’t left anything in the common locations, such as the glove box or beneath the seat.
The glove box isn’t necessarily your best option
If you leave items in plain sight, you’re risking someone breaking in or smashing a window to take the item while passing by and spotting an opportunity to take something they want. They’ll probably look like the masked man in this article’s image – and trust us, you don’t want that!
There are so many different types of motives when it comes to cars being broken into, and there are thieves who will simply break in hoping to locate something valuable.
In this case, make sure you haven’t left anything in the common locations, such as the glove box or beneath the seat. That includes your laptop, so don’t think twice!
Already thinking about a secret compartment? You got this on lock!
We can’t really dispute the idea of investing in decent, secure storage.
While there are various hiding places in a car; one thing you can do is study your owner’s manual to see if there are any secret compartments in the vehicle that you or criminals are unaware of; you might be surprised where compartments can be found.
Small goods can be hidden under floor mats or inside empty drink containers, while valuables can be hidden in the seat, between the seat cushion and the back of the seat, or in the spare wheel.
You can also design your own sneaky hideout holes if you’re prepared (and confident in your abilities!) Here are a few clever techniques to deceive those prying eyes, and even worse, prying fingers.
- Towels with built-in storage. Purchase a towel with a pocket stitched in, or build your own towel with a hidden pocket, or wear clothing with pockets.
- Tennis ball storage. To conceal smaller items, cut a slit in a tennis ball. Unless they squeeze the ball, no one will notice the cut.
- Send them running in the other direction! Toiletry containers, such as female sanitary goods, are typically avoided, thus concealing anything in a tampon or napkin box, or even the bottom of a tissue box, is a cunning solution.
- Contain the situation. Containers in general are useful; your phone might easily fit inside one. Take an empty sunscreen container with the top off; until you picked it up and shook it, you wouldn’t know it wasn’t sunscreen.
- Disguise what’s stored the car. Create a fake top on top of a cardboard box that appears to be filled with trash or newspapers, then place valuables beneath the fake top.
- Just like the movies! Use a hollowed-out book or a forged owner’s handbook for your vehicle.
Make sure you get a decent key storage box, such as a surf lock or general lock box, to keep your car key hidden. Lock boxes are great to have around because you can use a combination lock to fasten your key to the outside of your automobile.
My Auto Shop pro tip: Some key fobs may automatically open a car when they are in close proximity to it, so make sure your vehicle is safe before utilising one.
When you plan to leave your vehicle, don’t hide anything. If you know you’ll need to hide valuables in your car, make sure you do it before you pull into a parking spot.
It’s pointless to hide anything after you’ve parked because someone may be watching what you’re hiding and where you’re hiding it.
Worried about your car’s security? My Auto Shop can help put you in touch with a qualified technician to help ensure your vehicle’s security is as airtight as possible. If you need a hand, head on over to the service area and we’ll put you in touch with a quality mechanic close to you.