The government are currently trying to get all of us on our bicycles and out of our cars to help reduce congestion and pollution. They have set up ride to work schemes which help people to pay for new bikes easily over a long term.

Bikes are expensive, some more than others, but they all have one thing in common when it comes to their price. You had to work hard to pay for your bike, whether it cost hundreds or even thousands of pounds and as such, you want to keep it safe.

I can pretty much guarantee that you lock your bike to a bike rack or fence when you get to work, college, or even if you are quickly getting something from the shops. But what type of lock do you use and how have you locked your bike? Some inexpensive locks can be cut through very easily in seconds and some are much harder and take much, much longer to break.

Watch this Avon and Somerset Police video and see both good and bad ways of locking your bike.

Don’t be the next victim of crime.

Have you ever walked down a street at night, seen an interior light on in someone’s house and thought ‘That house is empty’? I bet you haven’t. And you’d be right more than 99% of the time.

But have you ever walked past a house with no lights on in the evening and thought ‘That house is occupied’? Again, I bet you haven’t because there is a good chance that house is empty.

Burglars think the same. If they see a house with interior lights on at night they are going to assume that somebody is in and they are going to walk on down the street until they find a house which looks empty. A house with no lights on at in the evening is more likely to be empty; maybe the owners are out for the evening or work night shifts.

Leaving some interior lights on when you are out is an excellent way to deter burglars and thieves. Leaving a radio or TV on is also a great deterrent. You can even buy “Fake TV’s” which simulates the lighting output of a television.

Always leave more than one light on. Leaving only light on can also be an invitation to burglars. If they haven’t seen any movement or other lights on for some time they may be inclined to think that nobody is home but the light has been left on. Always leave more than one light on.

It is better still to use timer switches on multiple lights around the house. These switches are usually inexpensive and you are able to pre-set multiple ‘on/off’ times on each timer. Buy doing this is it gives your home a lived in look to anyone watching.

And always remember to close any curtains or blinds before you go out otherwise when the lights come on at night potential intruders will be able to see that nobody is at home. Closing your curtains will not defeat the point of turning a light on because light will always shine around the edge of curtains.

They say that your car is your most expensive possession after your buying your home. It is also, for many of us, our way of getting to and from work, transport which takes us away on day trips, our way of getting to the doctors etc. Whichever way you look at it our cars are a large part of our lives so it is best to keep them secure.

Here are a few tips to help keep your vehicle safe:

• When you park your car, fit a security device to the steering wheel or handbrake
• Whenever you leave you vehicle, always arm the alarm system if it has one fitted
• Get an immobilizer fitted to your vehicle if it doesn’t already have one
• Always lock your car, even if you are only nipping into the newsagents
• Never leave your car keys in the ignition, or an unattended car
• Remove all portable satellite navigation devices including the leads
• Keep all windows and sunroofs closed including any pop-out windows
• Protect your windows from smash and grab thieves by getting Supaglass professionally fitted to your windows
• Remove everything from your car, even your old coat from the back seat. Someone may think you are trying to hide something underneath it
• Never keep the V5 vehicle document or other owners documents in your car. Always keep them in a secure location at home
• If you have a removable stereo or one which has a removable front never keep it in the car or hide it under the driver or passenger seat because thieves always look here
• Do not leave anything of value in the glove compartment or boot
• Vehicle etching is an inexpensive way to deter someone stealing your car because they will need to replace any part which is etched such as the windows, lights and wheels before they can sell it on. Plus, it makes it easier for the police to identify your vehicle should it be stolen
• Burglars will always look for keys when they have broken into a property, whether it is your house or car keys. Keep them hidden out of sight or next to you when you are sleeping
• Never leave your car or house keys near your front door as thieves sometimes use wires and hooks to try and steal them through the letterbox

These are just a few ways to keep your vehicle secure. If you do all of these things then your car is less likely to be targeted by thieves. Remember, keeping valuables out of sight and out of your car makes it less likely to attract a thieves attention and less likely to be broken into. Nobody wants to come back to their car to find a smashed window or broken lock. And nobody wants to have to clean up the mess, take time to deal with the police and insurance companies.