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Protect Yourself From Fuel Theft As Gas Prices Rise

By July 25, 2022July 29th, 2022Insurance

While the value of your car or the value of your catalytic converter has skyrocketed over the past year, the value of the gas in your vehicle has increased more than ever! Because of that, gas theft has increased in Lebanon County along with areas across Pennsylvania.
 
We want to help protect you and your hard-earned money, so we’ve compiled a list of ways to protect your vehicle from damage and your gas tank from theft. If you are a business owner with a fleet of vehicles, you should take extra steps to prevent gas theft from your company’s vehicles.

Ways To Park Your Vehicle To Protect It From Gas Theft

A lot of articles on how to keep people from stealing the gas in your vehicle have solutions that are not that easy to implement. You can help prevent theft by being smart about how you park.

1. Park Your Vehicle In A Garage

If you have a garage, now is the time to clean it out so you can park your vehicles inside. You can keep people from accessing your car and gas tank by keeping your vehicle in the garage. By doing this, you will also protect your catalytic converter from being stolen.

2. Park Your Vehicle In A Well Lit Spot With Traffic

A lot of people live in town and do not have a garage. Because of this, the value of parking your vehicle at a well lit location that has a lot of people driving by continually will help keep people from stealing gas from your car. Typically vehicles that have their fuel stolen are located in darker areas with very little surveillance.

3. Park Your Vehicle Close To A Wall Or Telephone Pole

A fun strategy very few people consider is parking their vehicle in a way that makes it difficult to access the gas tank. If you have a fence or wall you can park next to, you can block people from accessing the gas cap where they would siphon your gas.

Creative Ways To Protect Your Gas From Being Stolen

Parking is a simple change you can make immediately to keep your gas from being siphoned. Now that you are parking differently, what other ways can you keep yourself from being a victim of gas theft?

1. Install A Gas Cap Lock

Putting a gas cap lock is a quick and efficient way to protect your vehicle from having its gas siphoned. The only warning is that more persistent thieves will likely damage your car to remove the gas cap and steal your fuel. Then you will wake up to your vehicle not only having an empty tank of gas but you will also have to fix your vehicle’s gas cap.

2. Get A Security Camera System

A security camera system is not only a great way to catch people trying to siphon gas, but it is also an effective way to deter people from stealing gas from you. If a camera system is visible it is less likely a crime will be performed.

3. Fill Up The Tank In The Morning

A lot of people are trying to play the pumps and purchase gas at the “perfect time.” The truth is no matter where or when you buy gas, it will be expensive. If you were to have a full tank of gas stolen, it gets even more expensive. By waiting to fill up your tank until the morning or only putting enough gas in your car for the day, you can make it so that there isn’t any gas for a thief to steal.

Protecting Your Business From Gas Theft

As a business owner with a fleet of vehicles, gas has become one of the most expensive parts of your business. Take steps to protect your business from gas theft.

1. Install A Fence To Keep People Away From Your Fleet

If all of your vehicle’s gas and catalytic converters were stolen overnight, what is the value of that? It is probably worth more than the cost of installing a fence. Install a fence around your business to protect the value of your assets inside.

2. Install A Camera And Security System

As the price of gas increases, the value of your business’s materials also increases. High gas prices will not stop at siphoning gas; theft and crime are likely to increase. Installing a camera and security system will not only protect your fleet from being damaged or gas being stolen, but it will also protect a wide variety of business assets.

3. Invest In Telematics For Your Business.

Telematics for a business with a fleet of vehicles will not only help track your fleet’s fuel, but it will save you money on fleet insurance. You can protect your vehicles on the road as well as at home.

Contact Strickler Insurance For All Types Of Vehicle Insurance

Strickler provides all types of auto insurance, from commercial auto insurance to coverage for your personal vehicle. Reach out to us for a free quote.