We recently had our car broken into. Thankfully, not much was taken because we had cleaned out the car just a day before. But the experience made me stop and think: How was it done, and what can we do to better protect ourselves?
Most of us keep more in our cars than we realise. A wallet with bank cards, a phone, a power bank, or even a laptop left in the boot can become an easy target. We might also have bills, receipts or other documents containing personal information. In the wrong hands, these things can lead to identity theft, financial loss and, above all, a real sense of fear and vulnerability.
Car break-ins and car theft have become such regular news that it can be easy to stop paying attention. We hear about them so often that they almost become part of the background just another thing that happens.
But when it happens to you, it feels very different. I can say that now from personal experience.
Our break-in got me thinking about the simple things we can do to make our cars less attractive to thieves and better protect the valuables we carry in them.
That’s why I put together this Car Safety Gift Guide with some practical products worth considering, along with simple safety steps you can take to protect your car and the valuables inside it.
7 Best Car Safety Gift Ideas for Digital and Physical Safety
Dash Camera for Car with Cloud Storage
First and foremost, I would like to start with a dash camera – ideally one that records both the front and rear of your car.
A dash camera can do more than just record what happens on the road. Having a visible camera may also act as a deterrent to thieves. It can also provide useful evidence if a crime happens around or near your car.
Not only that, it can provide a useful footage for insurance claim in case of an accident.
I particularly like the idea of a cloud-connected dash camera. If someone steals the dash cam itself, any footage stored only on the device could be lost along with it. With cloud storage, your footage can still be available even if the camera and SD card are stolen.
After having our own car broken into, a dash camera is now something I genuinely think every car owner should consider.
See the dash camera I found here
GPS Vehicle Tracker
With so many car theft happening- this is a must have. Not only that if you have a teen driver at home- its a good to have product.
This one gives you real time location and can be tracked via both apple or android phone. Just download the app and you know where your car is.
OBD Port Locker
With more and more cars becoming high-tech and computer-controlled, thieves no longer need to steal your key. They can hack into your car’s internal systems and drive away with it. This was recently in the news too.
That’s why ODB port locker is in this list. An OBD port (On-Board Diagnostics port) is a standardized 16-pin connector plug inside a car that lets mechanics and drivers communicate directly with the vehicle’s internal computer system.
If thieves or hackers get access to this port- they can steal your car without even touching your key or temper with onboard systems.
That’s why this is a great digital safety gift for anyone with car or vehicle.
See the OBD Port Locker that I Liked.
Faraday Bags
Another extremely important item to have or gift to your loved ones is a Faraday bag. It can help protect your car keys from relay attacks, where thieves use specialized equipment to capture or relay the wireless signal from a keyless car key.
Faraday bag blocks wireless signals around the key. Simply put your car key inside the Faraday bag, and it’ll block the wireless signal so thieves can’t easily sniff or relay it.
For anyone with a keyless-entry car, I think this is one of the simplest and most practical car safety gifts you can give.
You can also use a Faraday bag to shield your laptop, mobile phone or tablet from wireless signals such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular signals. It can also help protect electronic devices from certain types of electromagnetic interference.
Steering Wheel Lock
If you prefer an old school type lock and not bothered about faraday bag or OBD Port Locker then simple steering wheel lock will do just fine.
See the Steering Wheel Locker here
Emergency Road kit
It doesn’t exactly fall under digital safety, but this is something I think every car should have. Even if you’re only going on a short trip, an emergency road kit can be incredibly useful when something unexpected happens.
I remember when I was a new driver with an old car. One cold morning, my car refused to start because I’d forgotten to switch off the headlights. Yep… rookie mistake! And, of course, I didn’t have a jump starter.
Actually, until that day, I didn’t even know jump starters existed and I had no idea what should be in an emergency road kit.
So, if you have a teen driver with an older car, or you simply want to be prepared for the unexpected situation, an emergency road kit is a no-brainer.
And honestly, it makes a pretty practical gift for any driver.
Phone charging multi cable.
You cannot charge your phone enough and this charging cable is must for any trip and both at home or in the car. For me this is my must have item in my bag.
It has both iPhone type charger, Micro USB and USB Type C. All of them in one bunch.
If you’re looking for more practical safety gift ideas beyond the car, check out my Safety Gift Guide, where I share useful products and ideas to help keep you and your family safer.
Conclusion
Technology has entered almost every corner of our lives, and our cars are no different. Just as we protect our homes, laptops and phones, digital safety in our cars is becoming increasingly important, especially when we carry and access so much of our digital life while travelling. Check out my Phone Security Hub for practical tips on keeping your phone safe from scams, spyware, hacking and other digital threats.
I hope the car safety gift ideas I’ve shared here help you find something useful for your loved ones — whether it’s for Christmas, Father’s Day, a birthday or simply as a practical gift to help keep them and their car safer.
