Keeping a car parked outside during the day and overnight (even outside your house) puts a vehicle at risk of theft from opportunist thieves and from being damaged.
Car crime is on the rise. According to our survey, 39% of US respondents experienced car theft in 2022. Every 41 seconds, a car is stolen in the US, according to FBI crime statistics.
Since it’s such a serious crime, how can you keep your car safe? Explore the pros and cons of keeping a car outside vs a garage below.
Table of Contents
Is it Better to Keep a Car in a Garage?
Keeping a car in a garage is safer and better for the vehicle compared to keeping it outside on the street. Leaving a car outside makes it visible to car thieves and easier to break into.
Keeping a car in a garage protects it from being damaged due to road traffic accidents, collisions, dangerous drivers, and antisocial behavior (like people smashing wing mirrors or keying paintwork).
Plus, a garage protects the paintwork, wheels, windows, and other parts of the car from the elements.
How to secure a garage to prevent car thefts
Many burglars break into garages. This is because they’re home to electronics, cars, and expensive power tools.
Many criminals also target a garage because it’s the least secure entry point into your home. Once inside, they can steal your valuables and harm your family.
To secure a garage, consider:
· Repurpose your spare phones as security cameras (free with the AlfredCamera app)
· Installing home security cameras (from $29.99 for AlfredCam)
· Fitting additional locks (from $50)
· Installing flood lights on the driveway (between $350-$500)
· Upgrading the door (between $700-$2,000)
Learn more about how to secure a garage to prevent break-ins.
Keeping Car Outside vs Garage: The Pros & Cons
Here’s a quick summary of the pros and cons of keeping a car outside vs garage.
Pros of Keeping a Car Outside
- Easily accessible when leaving the house
- Can leave the house faster when in a rush
Cons of Keeping a Car Outside
- Visible to car thieves
- Easier to break into
- Exposed to weather
- Gets dirty faster
- At risk of damage caused by road collisions and antisocial behavior
- Can increase insurance premiums
Pros of Keeping a Car in a Garage
- Adds another layer of protection against theft
- Isn’t visible to car thieves
- Is protected against all weather
- Stays cleaner for longer
- Garages can be secured for extra protection
- Can lower insurance premiums
- Keeps vehicle cooler in hot weather
Cons of Keeping a Car in a Garage
- Takes up space
- Takes longer to get in and out
What’s the Best Way to Protect a Car Parked Outside?
A garage is the safest place to keep a vehicle during the day and overnight. A driveway is the next safest place to keep a car, followed by a road outside the property (source).
The least safe place to leave a car is in a parking lot. Some reports cite that parking a vehicle in a parking lot makes it four times more likely to be stolen.
Keep reading to learn the best ways to protect a car parked outside if you don’t have a garage.
1. Install home security cameras
According to research, home security cameras may act as a deterrent to thieves. Since more than half of US properties don’t have a home security camera, these homes are a more likely crime target.
Position the cameras over the driveway or out onto the front of the property, so the car is visible in the camera’s field of view.
Choose a camera with motion detection sensors (like AlfredCam) so you’ll be alerted via your smartphone when someone is approaching your car.
You can then activate the Siren to ward them off, or, if you’re unsure what the person is doing, speak to them through Two-Way Talk.
Another benefit of home security cameras is, if someone dents a car or smashes the windscreen, the camera captures the event and proves to insurers that the damage was not the owner’s fault.
Plus, if the number plate is recorded in the footage, it makes it easier for the police and insurance companies to track down the driver.
How to install security cameras to prevent car theft
AlfredCamera provides a universal solution for homeowners to protect their property.
By installing the AlfredCamera app on an old smartphone, it can instantly be transformed into a fully functioning security camera.
With AlfredCamera, users receive motion detection-enabled push notifications and can live stream footage straight to a paired device. The Low-Light Filter is also particularly useful for monitoring the interior of a vehicle in relative darkness.
For vehicle owners seeking true night vision to protect their car at night, AlfredCam provides superior infrared night vision that can’t be replicated on a smartphone, ensuring your car is protected outside even at night.
AlfredCam works perfectly when installed in a garage or even in a vehicle to prevent break-ins.
2. Add motion detection lights
Because thieves don’t want to be spotted, they’re more likely to operate in darker areas. This is part of the reason why parking lots are a primary target for car thefts.
Increasing the light around your home acts as another possible deterrent to car thieves.
However, installing motion detector lights is only beneficial when used in conjunction with home security cameras.
Without cameras, there’s the possibility that they actually aid whoever’s stealing the car. When used alongside security cameras, motion detection lights make it easier for you to see what’s happening from your device, so you can call the cops.
It also provides better evidence to the police should a car be stolen, since facial features are likely to be easier to make out in the footage.
3. Fit a tracking device inside the car
Another way to protect a car from theft is to fit a tracking device inside the car.
These are small, hidden devices that are installed somewhere unnoticeable, so the car thief doesn’t know it’s there. If the car is stolen, the device can be used to track its location.
While these devices won’t deter criminals from stealing the vehicle, they make it much easier for the police to track down where it is after it has been stolen.
This can aid you in getting your vehicle back and getting justice.
4. Use a steering wheel lock and/or wheel clamp
To protect a vehicle from theft, add as many visible deterrents as possible. Adding extra security to a car, like a steering wheel lock and/ or a wheel clamp, make it harder for thieves to break in.
Car crime is best done when it’s fast and inconspicuous. Disabling a wheel lock and taking off a clamp can be noisy and time-consuming. Hence, criminals are less likely to target a car fitted with these devices.
5. Install a car alarm
Most modern vehicles come with a factory-installed car alarm already fitted.
Vehicles manufactured before the early 2000s generally don’t have factory-installed alarms. However, even modern cars aren’t fully protected against thieves just because they have an alarm.
Factory-installed alarms provide some protection against thieves, but they aren’t foolproof. Modern thieves know how factory-installed alarms work.
Car thieves won’t know if a vehicle has an aftermarket alarm until they try to break into it. When they do, the alarm will sound, attracting attention and causing the thief to abandon the burglary.
Conclusion
Overall, keeping a car inside a garage vs outside is best. They leave cars less visible to opportunist thieves, making them less likely to be stolen.
Garages also protect parked cars from accidental damage caused by other motorists and by anti-social behavior.
Easily install AlfredCam or another AlfredCamera device, inside the garage to provide additional safeguarding of the vehicle. Security camera footage is, after all, essential to successfully making an insurance claim and is useful when reporting an incident to the police.
Recommended reading:
8 Best and Worst Places to Hide Your Spare Car Keys
Another Car Blocking Your Driveway? | Here Is What You Should Do