Becoming a victim of a crime is one of the worst situations you can find yourself in. And losing your beloved car, which may have cost you your life savings, or that you rely on to go about your daily business is particularly distressing. However, taking the right actions after a car theft can take the sting out of the situation somewhat. So, what should you do if you find yourself a victim and someone steals your car? Let`s take a look.
First thing`s first: Take a breath
Yes, we know this is a big deal. The loss of your car may be a huge loss, but try to keep calm. Until and unless you don’t calm down, your decision-making skills will be affected. You will make bad decisions and probably end up making things worse.
Go to the nearest police station and report
The very first thing that you must do is go to the nearest police station and report the crime. Until you report your FIR and get the report number or a copy of the report, don’t leave the station. This is very important because if the car thief uses your car to commit a crime, such as a robbery, hit and run, or to transport drugs, you may be implicated if you haven`t officially reported it stolen. So, it’s better to be safe than sorry and file an FIR immediately.
Mention every single detail of your car in the FIR
While you are filing an FIR, it is important to mention every detail about your car. Any unique or stand out details will greatly assist with the investigation. So, try your best to share everything about your car, big or small. This includes not only the license plate number, model, and colour of your car, but also special identifiable scratches, broken lights, torn seat, any driving license or documents that you`ve left inside, or any other hidden identification mark.
Contact your insurance company
If you did your research while sigining up for insurance and you have very comprehensive insurance, then you should be covered for your loss. And even if your insurance doesn’t cover your stolen car, notifying them about the theft will be a good idea since that will again be proof that you have reported for your stolen car.
Filing a police report too late after the crime often encourages doubt in the minds of insurance companies. They may be suspicious there are cases where people deliberately stage a theft and then report the car stolen in order to claim the insurance. Additionally, filing a late report will make them think that maybe you are bluffing or hiding something from them, and this is why you took so long to go to the police. Therefore, it is advisable to take act as quickly as possible.
What to do if you`re not the owner of the car
There are a few situations where you may be driving a car that doesn`t belong to you, and that car gets stolen. It may be that you borrowed a friend or family member`s car, or you may be driving a company vehicle.
As soon as you know that the car has been stolen, immediately let the owner know. In the end, it’s their car and you have a responsibility to keep them informed. You must both go to the police station together and file an FIR for the lost car. As covered above, by sure to mention every identifying feature about the car.
How to avoid car theft
Naturally, prevention is better than cure. Here are some steps you can take to avoid having your car stolen in the first place.
- Pay attention when parking your car
Don`t hurry away from your car as soon as you reach your destination, even if you`re in a hurry. Always check to make sure your car is locked, by trying all the doors. Additionally, double checked that all the windows are properly locked and that the boot is closed.
- Don’t park your car in an isolated place.
Always try to park your car in a busy area or at least somewhere where it won’t be easy pickings for a car thief.
- Don’t keep valuable possessions in the direct view from outside inside the car
Don’t attract undue attention to your car. If you must leave any valuables inside your car, try to hide them, as leaving valuables in plain sight will only tempt a thief more to steal your car.
- Make use of Automatic Number plate Recognition system
Nowadays, ANPR recognition technology is used to identify cars with just a single image, so can be used to collect data of cars in the area in order to try to identify your stolen vehicle. Also, encourage the use of ANPR because these act like a two-in-one security system: a CCTV and a number plate recognition system in one!