Often criminals will steal a license plate off another vehicle that matches the vehicle they’ve stolen. They do this because a person will notice their vehicle missing and report it far sooner than their license plate, giving criminals a greater chance of not being caught.
Not only do you have to replace your stolen license plate, which costs approximately $90, there could also be added costs, depending on how long before you notice your plate has been stolen and report it to police. As you can imagine, criminals don’t tend to follow traffic laws so every photo radar and red light camera they set off will result in a ticket sent to you, the registered owner of the plate. You may not have to pay the fines in the end; however, this will cost you time in court explaining the situation to have the tickets withdrawn.
Here are some helpful tips to protect you from vehicle crimes:
- Install tamper-proof license plate screws.
- Keep your vehicle locked at all times, even while driving.
- When parked, never leave your keys in the car; close all windows and the sunroof.
- Never leave your car running and unattended.
- Avoid leaving valuables inside your vehicle where they are visible to passersby.
- Look around: be aware of your surroundings, especially in garages, parking lots and gas stations.
- Install an anti-theft system in your vehicle if it doesn’t have one. Thieves are reluctant to steal vehicles if they know they can be recovered quickly.
- Thieves prefer to work in the dark. Be particularly cautious at night about where you park your vehicle; park in a well-lit area, if possible.
- If confronted by a carjacker, don’t resist. Cars can be replaced; you can’t!
