The majority of guides focus on preventing the theft of your vehicle, however, this is not always a possibility. Regardless of how careful you are, sometimes, cars simply get stolen. Every measure can be surpassed by a determined and skilled burglar. Nonetheless, 9 out of 10 times, the reason why your car was stolen is due to the fact that you’ve made a mistake. Now, what’s done is done and you need to focus on the future. How do you proceed if your car is stolen? Well, here are several suggestions that you should take into consideration.

1. Call the police

The first thing you should do after you notice that your car is gone is to call the police and report the stolen vehicle. Of course, you should first ensure that you weren’t parked improperly and that your vehicle hasn’t been taken away for that reason. If this is not the case, the only logical explanation is that the car was stolen. Just make sure to calm yourself down before contacting them, so that you can be eloquent and descriptive in your report. Even if this takes you 10 to 20 minutes to calm down, keep in mind that this is more than worth it.

2. Survey the area

While waiting for the police to arrive, you need to take a minute to calm down and survey the area. Maybe there are some cameras in the area that could be of assistance to authorities. Maybe there are some people nearby who have witnessed the event. By-passers are not an option, seeing as how not many of them linger around for long enough to actually see the act and talk about it. On the other hand, people working in the area (workers in nearby stores, workers on a nearby construction site, etc.) may prove to be an invaluable source of information.

3. A course of action after it’s found

If the police manage to find the vehicle and return it to you, there’s a certain procedure that you’ll have to follow in order to take over the vehicle. Here, there’s no reason for worry, seeing as how the police officers and clerks involved in the case will tell you exactly what to do. After you have taken over the car, you should inspect it and contact a reliable auto locksmith right away. Who knows if the perpetrator has kept a spare key? Also, make sure to learn more about protecting your car in the future, so that you never again find yourself in this situation.

4. Rearrange your schedule

In a scenario where your car hasn’t been found and returned, you will have to rearrange your schedule in the following several days. First, you have to figure out a new method of commute. Carpooling might be a great idea, however, if you’re the one who was the driver in your own carpooling arrangement, you need to let others know as soon as possible. Also, you need to try and remember if you made some promises that require the carrying capacity or mobility of you having a car. Until you sort out this situation, you will be unable to deliver on these promises so make sure to cancel them right away.

5. Contact your insurance provider

So far, we’ve mostly discussed the inconvenience and stress caused by the loss of your vehicle, however, it’s also an asset loss that you have to take into consideration. You will be forced to buy a new car or endure a more expensive means of commute for a prolonged period of time. If you depend on your car for a living (delivery for your small business, Uber driver, etc.) things might be even worse. So, make sure to check your insurance and even try to figure out if you’re eligible for some sort of damages compensation.

In conclusion

While having your car stolen is hardly something that happens to people on a regular basis, it’s always better to be prepared for this eventuality. Namely, you need to keep in mind that knowing what you should do in these scenarios, in advance, may save you from a world of trouble. It increases the odds of having your car back and it minimizes the damage made by this unfortunate occurrence.