When you own a car, many situations might damage it or put your belongings in danger, especially when you have to park your vehicle on public streets, in lonely neighborhoods, or late after hours when it’s too dark to see what goes on outside. If you don’t know what to do when someone breaks into your car, we have a list of steps you can take to mediate the situation and not stress too much about it.
File a Police Report
If this unfortunate situation happens to you, you need to call the police and file a report; this will open an investigation to find out who did it and bring the responsible to justice. Driving with a broken window is not comfortable and not legal, but if you have a police report and another officer pulls you over, you can prove the situation and get a time extension to fix it.
Take Pictures
Before getting in your car or filing a police report, take as many pictures of the damage as you can from the inside, the outside, the street, and the street name; this will provide you with evidence when needed, especially for insurance purposes. Make sure the pictures come out clear, and if it’s late at night, use a flash for more clarity.
Contact Your Insurance
Depending on the type of coverage you have, insurance companies can fix these problems right away, although sometimes they might not. It is always good to have a reference for a car window replacement shop to fix your problems. Some companies will come to you to resolve your window problem so that you don’t have to risk driving with a broken one.
What Is Missing?
Once you go through the steps above, think about everything you had inside your car to find out what is missing. Thieves usually look for wallets, money, or credit card. When someone breaks into your car, what you need to do is contact your bank to let them know about the situation and avoid identity theft to make this situation less stressful.
Preventative Measures
Once this happens to you, it could happen again; you should consider getting a better alarm system, an anti-theft system, or a tracker in case someone decides not only to break in but also take your car. Awareness is a good option, but things can happen even in the least expected places. Stay conscious of your surroundings and always be alert.
