The Christmas period is a great time to visit different cities and explore the German markets. However as the festive season embarks on the ‘Good-will-to all-men’ mantra, we all still need to be aware of thieves. We’ve put together tips on how to keep your car safe this winter.
Don’t leave things on show
Whether you’re car is parked in a shopping centre or at home on your driveway, don’t leave expensive things on show. This includes;

• Handbags
• Wallets / purses
• Mobile phones
• Christmas presents
• Sat nav + mounts
• In-car charges and any charging wires
• Money

Parking
Make sure you park in a safe place if it’s on the street. If you’re hitting the late night shopping sales, avoid parking in dimly lit areas, car parks will have CCTV and staff who oversee them. If you don’t have a car alarm it’s time to get one. The alarm can warn off thieves breaking and alert you.
Safety
It can be easy to think you’ve locked your car, but before you walk off make sure all of the locks have clicked. Once you’ve locked your car properly, think about where you put your keys. A thief can watch your movements and knock into you to steal the keys. Once you’re at home, don’t leave your keys in sight. Investing in a steering wheel lock is beneficial.
Never leave your car running unattended
Nobody likes having to de-ice and warm-up the car on cold winter mornings, but an opportunist thief won’t think twice about stealing your car. The same goes for jumping-out to quickly pick something up and leaving the car running. Even if you think you’ll be less than a minute, it’s enough time for your car to be stolen. What’s more if your car is stolen and the keys were in the ignition, your insurance company will not pay out.
Remember if you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, go to the nearest safe place. Whether it is your home, a friend’s house or just to a busy place. If you feel at risk go to the authorities.
For any more advice tweet us @hpicheck.
www.hpicheck.com
Happy driving,
Priya