admin Start With the Basics
Your tyres may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of security. When your car is on worn-out tyres, then it is not going to be fast when you need it in an emergency. And when somebody is broken into your garage, the last thing you want to find is that your tyres are flat because they have been sitting there losing pressure over months.
Have your tyres inflated and in good condition. Check them regularly. It lasts five minutes and is free.
Same with the overall condition of your car. A car that is in good condition and appears to be taken care of is not likely to be the victim of opportunistic thieves. They are seeking easy targets – cars that appear to be in poor condition, cars with weak batteries or faulty locks.
The Driveway Dilemma
Ok, so where are you parking this car you are spending so much time and money on?
When you park on your driveway, you are making it easy to thieves. It does not matter whether you have a steering lock or an alarm, those relay boxes that copy your key fob are perfectly operational in the street. Before you have a chance to finish your morning coffee, your car might be stolen.
I understand that driveways are convenient. They are also frontal, bright (so thieves can see what they are up to) and often near enough to your front door that they can amplify your key signal.
When you have a garage and you are not using it to store your car, you must ask yourself why. What do you have in there that is better than your car?
Sorting Your Garage Out
Garages are crowded with stuff that we do not need but can hardly bring ourselves to discard. Tins of old paint, pieces of wood that we could use, boxes of stuff three houses ago that we have never opened.
The following is a simple rule: you have not used it within the last two years and you cannot remember why you will need it within the next six months, dispose it. You will be surprised at the amount of space you will clear.
Making the Garage Secure
After your car is literally in the garage, you must ensure that the garage is secure. It is no use all that trouble when one can simply walk in.
Start with the garage door. When was the last time you actually looked at it? I do not mean to look at it as you walk by, but to look at it.
Worn-out doors and broken locks are useless. You may as well leave it open. When your door is as old as the house is at 30 years, then the lock is likely to be the weakest aspect of your security.
Contemporary locks are not costly to instal. Multi-point locking systems are much better than the old single-point locks. Garage defenders – the bars that are attached to the floor – are brilliant in up-and-over doors. They cost around PS50 and can be installed in an hour.
Side doors are not given a second thought. They are normally hidden at the side of the garage where no one can notice them and this is what thieves adore. Add a proper deadlock to it and think about adding a bolt on the top and bottom.
The Technology Angle
It does not mean that you have to go crazy with smart home stuff, but there are certain pieces of technology that actually work.
Motion sensor lights are inexpensive and efficient. I had one over my garage and one at my side gate. Whenever one passes by, they glow like a stage. Probably excessive, but I would rather have cat alarms than no alarms.
CCTV does not necessarily need to be expensive. Even a simple camera that uploads to the cloud will cause thieves to think twice. They understand that when they are caught on camera breaking into your garage, they have a higher chance of being caught.
There are also modern garage doors which have apps that inform you whether the doors are open or closed. It sounds corny, but it is actually very handy when you are lying in bed at night and you are wondering whether you are sure you closed the garage. It is just a matter of checking your phone rather than rising.
Insurance Matters
The following is something that surprised me: many insurance companies will offer you a discount when your car is locked in a garage overnight. But – and this is significant – they may also need it on costly cars.
In the case of very expensive or vintage vehicles, not all insurers will cover you at all, unless the vehicle is garaged. Worth looking before you purchase.
The Weather Factor
British weather is car rubbish. Rain, frost, snow, that vile salt-slush in winter that rusts everything it comes in contact with. Parking your car outside all that years your car.
Garages are not heated, but they are much better than being in the open air. Your car will be drier, warmer, and cleaner. The battery has a longer life, rust develops slower, and you do not have to scrap ice off the windscreen at 7am in January.
You are concerned enough to buy good tyres and have your car serviced regularly, so why not be concerned enough to provide it with a roof over its head?
Generally Speaking What About Home Security?
Your automobile does not exist in a vacuum. When your home security is low, the thieves may enter your house just to steal your car keys. And then they can simply drive your car away in a nice and legal way as far as anyone observing is concerned.
Do not leave your keys by the front door. Place them in a drawer, or get a signal-blocking pouch in case you have keyless entry. Don’t make it easy for them.
Good locks on every door and window. Alarm system, should you be able to afford it. Just pretending to have an alarm is good enough – those dummy boxes are not as expensive as you might imagine.
Good fencing or gates at the front where possible. Anything that causes your property to appear less accessible than that of your neighbour.
It All Adds Up
This is not rocket science. It is simply a matter of considering your car as an investment that needs protection, not maintenance.
Sort your garage. Acquire a good door with good locks. Keep your car in there. It is not a complex thing, yet it has a huge impact.
Start Somewhere
Make some room to fit your car in there. Or have someone cheque your garage door in case it is shaky. Or fit a garage defender. Or simply begin to park your car in the garage at night rather than on the drive.
A single alteration causes another. You will have sorted security properly before you know it and you will sleep better knowing that your car – and all the money you have spent on it – is well taken care of.
The only thing on your car that is in contact with the road is your tyres, yet it is your garage door that prevents someone else to drive your car down that road without your consent.
