Some items drivers typically store in their vehicles might actually put their safety at risk.
If you feel comfortable always storing certain car-related objects or information in your vehicle, think again. Dannah Eve has a degree in Criminology and Psychology. Her social media handle, @dannah_eve, has 11.2 million likes and more than 700,000 followers. She posts safety tips, including a particular nugget of advice for drivers.
First, the influencer says that keeping a standard garage door opener in your car is actually a big risk to your safety. If a thief breaks into the cabin, they might take the garage opener. In theory, they could it to access your home later.
If you lose your opener or think it was stolen, be sure to have the missing remote erased. Every garage door system should have a method to do this.
Dannah says that you don’t have to stop using a garage door opener. Instead, you might switch to a remote keychain you can hook to the car keys. Otherwise, just grab the opener when you exit your car and keep it with your keys for safety.
What’s more, if you always store your home address somewhere in the vehicle, including programmed into your car’s native GPS, delete or remove it immediately. While rare, a creative criminal might want to know where you live…especially if they have your garage door opener, too.
In my mind, you can extend the personal information tip to anything you wouldn’t want a stranger to see. Remove important papers, receipts, etc. that contain data you don’t want to share. If your vehicle registration or other documents stored in your glovebox contain personal information, consider switching to digital versions you can access on your phone.
Depending on their location, many drivers already keep their vehicles empty of personal items and information. If you’ve never thought about the garage door opener or personal data stored in your car, take a minute or two to consider what’s best for your safety.
