On some vacations, you may be able to get by without renting a car or bringing your own used car to get you from place to place. But in other areas, public transportation or other means of getting around aren’t possible. In situations like this, bringing your car or renting a car are almost necessities.
Along with driving a car in this new and unknown area, you also have to concern yourself with parking. And because no one wants to get back to their car to find a ticket on the windshield or that your windows have been broken, it’s important that you know how to keep yourself and your vehicle safe while parking.
To help you in doing this, here are three tips for safe parking while on vacation.
Limit Your Distractions
While you might think that parking lots would be a safer place to be driving since everyone is driving slowly, parking lots are actually a very common place for people to get into accidents, as it can be hard to pay attention to everyone driving around you.
One thing that can make accidents more likely is if you’re distracted, which is very common for visitors to a new area who aren’t familiar with the parking. So to keep this from happening to you, try to research parking before you get there and ensure that the driver focuses on the road while the passengers look around for parking spots or other information.
Choose Safe Spots To Park
Another thing you’ll want to think about when parking while on vacation is safety. While many tourist destinations are safe and well patrolled in the areas where the tourists frequent, some aren’t.
To know if a parking spot is safe for you, try to choose to park in an area that’s well lit and is close to the hustle and bustle of the city. Parking in dark or secluded areas can make your car an easy target for thieves.
Clear Out Your Car Before Parking It
The cars of visitors are often sought out by thieves because they have a lot of valuables that have been left in them, as carrying everything with you can be inconvenient. So before you park your car anywhere, try to clear out as many of your belongings as possible. Take things inside to the place you’re staying, bring them with you, or hide them in out of sight places so thieves won’t easily be able to see what you have left in your car.
The more empty your car looks, the less enticing it will be to thieves.
If you want to make sure that you’re able to park in a safe place and keep yourself and your vehicle well protected while on vacation, consider implementing some of the safety tips mentioned above.
