8 Tips on Parking Safely

With the high incidences of vehicle theft and theft from vehicles, not to mention hijacking and now even kidnapping, your safety and that of your passengers is critical and choosing to park in a safe area is paramount. Sometimes common sense is not very common!

Here are few things to consider when parking:

• Always park in a well-lit, secure parking area that is covered by closed circuit security cameras and car guards with controlled entrance and exit points.
• Ensure that the car park will still be open when you come back from that late-night movie.
• Choose to park on the ground floor and if possible, as close to the staircase/lifts and away from large pillars where criminals could hide behind.
• Reverse park into your bay, that way you can make a quick exit, in case of any sinister activity or emergency.
• Leave sufficient space on all sides so that a careless driver does not scratch or dent your vehicle when pulling into or out of the parking his/her bay.
• Use a visible deterrent like a steering or gear lock.
• Be aware of suspicious characters lurking around when you’re parking and keep your valuables safely in the boot instead of keeping in the cabin.
• Make a note of the floor and bay number on the parking ticket and keep the ticket in a safe place. Do not leave the parking ticket in the car.
• Losing a parking ticket is a real no-no. Having to find the parking office, stand in a long queue and pay a huge penalty, after a long, hectic day can test anyone’s patience.
• After paying your ticket, find your car keys and walk swiftly to your car, opening it as you approach so that you do not waste time fumbling in your handbag looking for it and giving prowlers ample time to pounce on you.
• If someone strikes you as being suspicious, turn back and ask for assistance from the security or car guard.
• A car key can make for an effective weapon, if held firmly with the metal key bit facing outwards.
• If you find that the car has been tampered with, do not get in. Call for help.
• Once you’re in the car, drive off and get out of dodgy areas as soon as you can.
• If you have to park in the street, again, park in areas where there is a lot of pedestrian or vehicular traffic instead of dark and dingy side road alleys.

Avoid parking in the same place every day, unless you have a specially allocated bay. Thieves could monitor your predictable movements and easily accost you.