Local police are currently warning motorists that thieves are targeting Watsonia railway station carpark. Most of the break-ins are occuring during the working week when the majority of cars are parked for the entire day.

Here’s a few tips on how you can protect your car from theft when out and about.

1. Never leave your keys in the ignition.  Even if you are just dashing quickly into a shop or back into the house while your car’s in the driveway.  Thieves are always looking for these kinds of opportunities.
2. Close all windows and lock all doors before leaving the car. With hot weather coming on, it may be tempting to leave windows open just a crack to stop the car from heating up as much but this could be the opening a thief needs to break-in.
3. Don’t leave valuables within view, lock them in your boot or take them with you.  It’s easy to forget about the satnav, a mobile phone in a cradle or even loose change but these are all tempting to a thief.
4. Don’t hide spare car keys anywhere on the car.  Stands to reason, if you’ve thought about where to hide a spare key then so has a thief.
5. Consider investing in some extra security for your car or ute.

• Car alarm systems are more sophisticated these days and don’t result in noisy sirens going off when a cat jumps on the bonnet.
• Most modern cars are already fitted with immobilisers but you can get them installed.
• Other possible security measures include bonnet locks, vehicle monitoring & tracking devices and window etching (VIN).