If your vehicle is stolen or damaged, your insurance is usually required to pay for the loss, but it cannot compensate you for the inconvenience you have suffered.

Particularly painful are the cases where the insurance refuses to pay because, for instance, the vehicle was not locked.

It is therefore very important for you always to protect your motor vehicle effectively against theft or damage.

Some police tips:

• Always take the ignition key out, even during a short absence (e.g. while fuelling or buying a paper). As a rule, the engine immobilizer can only be activated in this way.
• Always leave the steering wheel locked.
• Never leave identification papers, car papers, references to your home address or your house keys in the vehicle. Otherwise your home could be burgled too after the car is stolen.
• Do not keep anything of value in the trunk. When you spend the night somewhere, take all of your luggage with you.
• Always carefully lock windows, doors, trunk, sun roof and fuel tank cap even if you leave the car only briefly.
• Do not leave objects of value, like cash, cameras, mobile phones or mobile navigation equipment in the car. Experienced thieves know all hiding places.
• Do not leave objects of value, like cash, cameras, mobile phones or mobile navigation equipment in the car. Experienced thieves know all hiding places.
• Do not keep spare keys in or on the vehicle. These hiding places are well known to thieves too. If you have a theft alarm, turn it on.
• Keep your trunk locked even while you are driving. This will prevent impulse theft when you stop at an intersection, for instance.
• Do not leave car keys unattended in jacket/coat pockets if you take it off in the cloakroom.
• Park your vehicle in busy and well-lit places and look for guarded parking garages/multi-storey car parks.
• It is not enough to secure the roof rack of your vehicle -activate the anti-theft device as well.