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Whilst car crime is on the decrease on a national scale, it remains a concern for many, and can be an unpleasant reality for many car owners.

In the UK alone, there are still over 2 million vehicle related thefts every year, and even this is over a 50 percent decrease on figures resulting from 1995. Even though this is the case, there are many precautions that you can take to ensure that you are safeguarded against car crime.

The first precaution is to lock the doors and close all of the windows to your vehicle, but as obvious as this may seem, the amount of people who don*t do this is high. You*ve probably done this yourself when you*ve popped into the shop for a couple of minutes, and may have even left the keys in the ignition with the car left running. It's surprising how quickly a thief can steal your vehicle without the keys, so if you do this, you may as well be putting up a sign on the car roof to say *Please Steal Me*. Even in a well-lit location with many people around, such as a petrol station, remember to lock your doors before going in to pay, as it only takes a few seconds for someone to reach inside your car and take anything of value.

This brings us onto our second point; do not leave valuable items on show in the vehicle. It is often the case that a thief will not always be looking to steal a car, but what is inside the vehicle instead. Removing such items can be a major deterrent, or if they need to remain in the car then place them out of site in the glove box. Alternatively, for added safety, it is now possible to purchase boot safes, which is very helpful for those constantly being required to transport valuable items in their car.

Always park in a safe place is our third major tip. The most attractive place for thieves to steal a vehicle is in a poorly lit, unattended or isolated location, where they are provided with time and no distractions from carrying out the crime. Try to stick to areas that are busy and have lighting, and best of all have CCTV in operation.

Finally, always keep your keys in a safe place, even when in your own home. Refrain from leaving your car keys near to the front door, even though this is a common place to leave them for most homeowners purely for ease when leaving the house. However, this is of course then also easy for a thief to reach inside an open door, or through a letterbox. Keep your keys in a place where they are not visible in hallways or near your home entrance.

Although these tips may seem obvious, the amount of people who do not carry them out is high, and those people may one day live to regret it. Be cautious and help reduce car crime with these simple steps.