In these difficult financial times most folks need vacations more than ever. And people also want to save a lot of money if they can. One economical solution is to take the family car and drive to and from your holiday destination instead of flying.

If you plan to drive, it may also make sense to take some steps to protect yourself and family from car theft. Having some car thief steal your car, luggage, or other items of value from your trunk could really put a damper on what was supposed to be a fun-filled and enjoyable trip.

Even by taking all the numerous precautions to prevent auto theft when you travel, very determined professional car thieves can still manage to take any vehicle if they want it bad enough. Did you see the movie Gone In 60 Seconds starring Nicolas Cage? However, you can still dramatically lessen the odds of becoming a victim of auto theft to almost zero.

Almost all of these auto theft preventative measures are common sense and will cost nothing to do. So it may make a lot of sense to implement them not only when you travel by car on your holidays, but also in your every day driving.

To start with, you should never take for granted that you are immune from car thieves when traveling, or that your vehicle would not really be worth stealing.

Keep in mind that sometimes these thieves might be after more than just your vehicle, luggage, or any valuables that might be inside your car or trunk. They may only want an older car to joy ride in, or take it to sell its parts.

They might also be after your vehicle documents for identity theft, or they could be contemplating robbing your residence while you are away on holidays. Where would they find this important information? From the auto registration and car insurance papers which are usually located conveniently in the vehicles glove compartment.

The best way is to eliminate this problem is to keep these documents on your person at all times when traveling on your vacation.

The second best way to reduce this problem is to hide the documents really well in the trunk. Some police forces in cities that have a high incidence of auto thefts recommend doing this. Just remember to tell everyone who is traveling with you where these documents are squirreled away inside the trunk.

Here are some more ways you can lessen the chance of having your holidays ruined by car thieves. If you can manage to implement a number of these suggestions, you can dramatically lessen the odds of becoming another victim of auto theft when you travel.

Make sure you always shut you cars windows tightly and lock your car on every occasion you leave it parked, even if it is only for a minute or two.

A real invitation to lose your vehicle is to leave it idling while unattended. Under no circumstance should you ever do this. Dont even think about it.

Similarly, you should not leave your vehicles keys in the ignition or hidden anywhere in car. That also includes a second set of keys. Professional car thieves can easily find any keys hidden in the usual places very quickly. Keep an extra set of keys on your person.

Dont leave any valuables in your vehicle, even if they can not be seen from the outside of your car. If possible, take them with you.

However, if you have no choice but to leave valuables in your vehicle, at least make sure that they are locked inside your trunk. When you do this, check first and look around to make sure that nobody is watching, or better still, stop, pull over, and put them in your trunk before you arrive at your intended destination. Prying eyes can be anywhere.

When parking in public areas, turn you vehicles front wheels either to the left or right before you turn your ignition off. This engages the steering wheel lock in the steering wheel column and can make your vehicle a little more difficult to take.

By engaging the emergency brake after you have parked and turned the motor off, you may also make your vehicle harder to tow away.

For front wheel and rear wheel drive vehicles you should park them a bit differently when in underground parking. Front wheel drive cars should be parked nose in and rear wheel drive ones, nose out. Then turn your tires to the right or left. Again, this may make your auto harder to tow away.

Its always best to park in an attendant controlled parking lot rather than an unattended one. If it is a place where there is valet parking, only give the attendant your door and ignition key. They dont need any of the other keys on your key chain.

In public areas near dusk and at night, always park in well lit places that have a lot of pedestrian traffic. Keep in mind that most auto thieves work at night.

If you can, avoid parking near or next to any obstruction, such as a hedge, fence, large truck, or anything that blocks a clear view of your vehicle to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

When you are staying in a place that has gated, secure parking, be sure that the gate has completely closed after entering or leaving so that a thief doesnt sneak in to the parking area behind your vehicle.

If you see any suspicious activity such as someone or a group of people loitering near your vehicle you should call the police.

Here are some of the anti-theft devices that you can install for maximum protection. You may have some of these products already installed in your vehicle.

You should use a highly visible after-market steering wheel lock bar. Most car thieves will likely move on to easier prey. Other less visible after-market anti-theft products are gas pedal locks, brake pedal locks, and armored collars that fit around the steering column which protects the ignition. And for the manual shift vehicles you can also use an after-market shifter lock. These products are all effective but not as highly visible to prying eyes.

Another thing that you can easily do is to have your mechanic install a hood lock that will prevent easy access to your vehicles battery and security system.

A loud vehicle alarm system with a very visible alarm sticker on your windshield could be worth its weight in gold particularly when combined with a number of these other anti-theft security options.

The best vehicle protection is a passive electronic immobilizer which disables the motor when you turn off the ignition. Its not an inexpensive device to have installed but its well worth it for your peace of mind. There are other benefits you may receive when you install an electronic immobilizer in your car. Some auto insurance companies will offer a discount on your policy if you can show documentation that youve had one installed. You also could get more money for your vehicle if you decide to sell it down the road.

Last, but not least, make sure you have adequate insurance coverage on your vehicle including theft and damage before you travel on a vacation.

Tags: Identity Theft