With one car stolen every four minutes, India has the highest vehicle theft cases in the world as per a 2012 report by National Crime Record Bureau. So, it is critical and imperative for car/bike owners to take precautions.

Anti-theft devices

Insurance companies vouch for installing anti-theft devices, which can be a crucial aid during times when your vehicle is stolen. Besides, installation of such devices in your car can help you avail a discount on the insurance premium. Some manufacturers are already providing prefixed anti-theft devices in new vehicles or one can buy them from the local market.

Check your insurance cover

Vehicle owners, especially two-wheeler customers show a tendency to opt for the mandatory third-party insurance cover instead of the comprehensive cover. While this may save them with a few rupees, the cover is futile if your vehicle is stolen.This is because third-party cover guards the insured from physical losses levied by third-party entities in case of an accident. However, by opting for a comprehensive insurance cover, you are provided reimbursement of the vehicle’s Insured Declared Value (IDV) by your insurance company in instances where the police might not be able to track the vehicle within the stipulated timeline. Comprehensive insurance cover will also cover the damages to your vehicle if it is recovered damaged. It may happen that the thief damages the vehicle interior or parts and abandons it. In such a scenario, the repairs will be covered with comprehensive coverage minus your deductible, subject to the extra features you have added on to your policy.

Paid Parking

Though it’s a hurdle for car/bike owners in metro cities to find paid parking places, it would be wise to search or plan your social/professional activity wherein you can park your vehicle at a municipality authorised parking area. Do not forget to take the parking tag/valet note, which ensures that the vehicle is under the custody of the authorised parking entity. By doing so, it becomes easy for the police to investigate the incident, since the vehicle was parked under an authority whom they can question.

Documentation

Often car/bike owners store original car purchase papers and insurance copies inside the vehicle. When encountered with an incident of theft, it is a tedious and time consuming activity to get duplicate copies from the car dealer as well as retrieve information from the insurance company, when you do not posses any information on car purchase and insurance policies. To avoid last minute hassles for lapse committed by you, it is be recommended to photo-copy the original documents and store the same in the vehicle. This will ensure that you have all the official papers handy when filing a loss report with the police as well as intimating a claim with the insurance company.