Basag Kotse Gang: How To Prevent Thieves From Breaking Into Your Car

As you’ve probably seen in the news, elements of the Basag-Kotse
gang don’t choose a time or place. They could strike night or day, in an open parking lot or right in front of your house.

Thing is, these thieves won’t just steal valuables from your car; they also leave you with some serious headache due to broken windows and emotional damage.

But just how easy is it to break into your car? Amateurs go the traditional way, using blunt objects such as a hammer or rock to pummel their way in.

Meanwhile, the modus of savvier Basag-Kotse gangsters may involve porcelain fragments from the spark plug to get in your car much quicker. Once they’re done going David Copperfield your window, running away with whatever valuables they can see in your car is the easy part.

While you cannot make your vehicle theft-proof, you can lower the chances of your car falling prey to car thieves with these four tips.

1. Invest in a secure parking slot

When you park your car on the street, you’re not only jeopardizing your vehicle’s safety and security, you’re also contributing to the worsening traffic in the Philippines.

If your property has enough space to accommodate your vehicle, you should take advantage of it to protect your car from the risks of street parking.

(Read:  Soon, People Who Throw Rocks At Cars Could Be Jailed)

In the absence of garage, consider renting a parking slot. Some informal ones can only cost you around P1,000 per month while some condo unit owners who lease their parking spaces do so for P5,000 per month.

2. Drape your car with a car cover

Car covers are a cheap and indispensable part of a driver’s wide range of protective tools. Aside from keeping your car dry or cool during extreme weather conditions, car covers can also deter criminals from vandalizing your car.

You may wonder if it can actually help since car covers are merely waterproof drapes for your ride. Think about this: since members of the Basag-Kotse gang do their smash-and-grab jobs quickly, a car cover could discourage them from targeting your car since it will involve additional effort on their part. Removing a car cover is such as big and noticeable act, it can notice the attention of bystanders.

3. Install security tints on your car windows

Your car is equipped with two kinds of materials for your windows: laminated glass for the front and rear windows and tempered glass for your side windows.

The former protects you from shrapnel by keeping it together with the help of a laminating film. Meanwhile, the latter is a reinforced type of glass that shatters into small, relatively harmless bits when they’re smashed. If you want the best of both worlds, get security window tints for your car.

(Read: 8 Things You Didn’t Know About Car Tints)

How does this work? Reinforced security tints won’t just prevent prying eyes from seeing anything inside your car. With the help of the additional film you install, it keeps the glass together and acts as the final layer of defense if your windows are compromised.

You can visit your friendly car accessories shop to know more about reinforcement security tints.

4. Never leave valuables inside your vehicle

What do victims of the Basag-Kotse gang have in common? They all lost gadgets, tons of cash, jewelry, and other items–all for leaving bags, even empty ones, inside their car.

No matter where you park your vehicle, do not leave your belongings especially where prying eyes could easily spot them. Unlike the Death Star which had only one weakness, your car is prone to unauthorized entry through multiple points. Never mistake your car for a safety vault.

These tips can minimize the losses you incur in case there’s a smash-and-grab attempt to your car. Unfortunately, they’re not designed to stop people from breaking into your car and stealing your belongings. The best defense against Basag-Kotse gang is still vigilance.

Sources:

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/publicaffairs/alisto/381852/alisto-tips-laban-sa-basag-kotse-gang/story/

http://solutions.3mphilippines.com.ph/wps/portal/3M/en_PH/Window_Film/Solutions/Markets-Products/Automotive/Scotchshield/

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/423961/