Preventing Your Car From Being Stolen

Hopefully a stolen car is something you’ve never had to deal with. But with car theft a real problem in Australia, it’s good to be armed with the right knowledge on how to protect your wheels.

By taking preventative action, you can limit your chances of having your car stolen. Of course, we’re not guaranteeing that it’ll never happen, but you can certainly make it harder for any opportunistic car thieves lurking around.

First, let’s look at some statistics around stolen cars in Australia.

How many cars are stolen in Australia?

It might sound like a far-fetched problem, but you’d be surprised to hear that over 125 cars a day are stolen each year across Australia. That’s one every 12 minutes. Victoria has the biggest stolen car problem, followed by Queensland. The Northern Territory had the least amount of stolen cars over the 12 month period.

These April 2020 to March 2021 statistics may be shocking, however the positive news is that national motor theft figures reduced by 24% in that period. However, it’s thought COVID-related lockdowns and restrictions played a huge role in this.

With vaccinations on the horizon and the world slowly but surely returning to a “new normal” your risk of falling victim to a stolen car is likely to rise again.

So what can you do to prevent car theft?

Stolen car prevention – how to limit the risk

Small passenger cars are the most commonly stolen car type in Australia followed by SUVs, and then utes. So, if you drive a small passenger car, be extra aware!

Having said that, every car is at risk of theft.

Although you can’t completely eliminate the chance of being an unlucky victim of a stolen car incident, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk. These include:

• Park in a secure area. A garage or behind a locked gate or fence is ideal.
• Keep your keys out of reach. Don’t hang them near a door or window where they can be stolen by clever thieves. Read more tips on how to keep your car keys safe from thieves here.
• Consider using a motion sensor light or alarm near or in the car. If someone approaches, the area will light up or an alarm will go off. This should be enough to scare away a car thief.
• Don’t leave your keys in your car. It sounds insane, but 37% of stolen cars are driven away using their keys, and 18% are stolen because the keys are inside the vehicle. So remember to take them out of the ignition, even if you’re just putting in petrol, and don’t keep a spare key in the car!

And surprisingly, research has shown that green cars are more susceptible to being stolen in Australia. Who knew? Find out more about the safest car colours when it comes to crime, visibility, and even the weather.

Preventing a stolen car when you’re out

Unfortunately, your car can’t always be parked and locked in your garage at home. When you’re out and about, you have to be mindful of car theft too.

Here’s what you can do:

• Park in well-lit or secured areas like paid car parks at malls
• Invest in extra security like a steering wheel lock. While some highly determined thieves might be able to get through this, they’re likely to just pick an easier target.
• Another car security option is an engine immobiliser. They’re effective, affordable, and easy to install.
• Double check your doors after locking your car to reduce the risk of remote jamming.
• Keep valuables out of sight. Hiding that laptop or watch might stop an opportunistic thief from breaking in and taking the valuables along with your car

And of course, you should make sure you’re adequately insured.  Want more tips? Read our simple daily habits to help prevent car theft.

Make sure you’re properly insured

You might not be able to completely eliminate the risk of a stolen car. But being properly insured against car theft provides some peace of mind. At least you know you won’t have to recoup the entire cost from your own pocket.

Is it time to review the level of cover you want for your car? Here’s a guide to comprehensive car insurance in Australia, which covers you if your car is stolen. After reading that, checking out our car insurance plans should be your first move.