What information are you DRIVING around?

A person’s life narrative or the traits and history of their family might be revealed on bumper stickers. For instance, a bumper sticker bragging about a student’s excellent grades can attract the attention of a criminal and serve as the basis for creating a family profile that can facilitate a burglary or worse.

Reveals personal information

A bumper sticker can reveal personal information about the driver of a vehicle or their family that a person might not otherwise share with strangers. This often inadvertent disclosure of personal information may include:

• It can be implied by a church sticker that you are not at home on Sunday mornings.
• Criminals may assume that your automobile has valuable weaponry if you have pro-gun stickers on it. While some may see this to be a barrier, others may see it as an opportunity.
• By displaying pride in your honor student, you reveal the child’s school, which could attract predators.
• These bumper stickers can reveal just enough information to pose a threat, similar to writing your child’s name on a backpack.

Hints at what is inside of the car

• How might bumper stickers entice a potential car thief to commit a break-in? Here are a few instances:Company stickers may indicate that there may be a company laptop inside.
• NRA stickers can be a sign that there are expensive firearms inside.
• Stickers with a profession on them should be avoided. For instance, stickers for a pharmacy or medical office may imply that a doctor or pharmacist has prescription medications in the car.

Potentially endangers your children

Theft of personal items, particularly valuable belongings, can be unsettling and even devastating at times. Still, these losses will never compare to a child’s serious injury or possible demise. By offering potential predators too much information about your kids through bumper stickers, you can unintentionally put them at risk.

Keep these tips in mind the next time you are choosing a bumper sticker:

• Bumper stickers can expose sensitive personal data about the driver and their family, making them more susceptible to criminal activity
• Stickers can also send a message, political or otherwise, that can aggravate and at times enrage certain groups of people.
• Simply identifying the driver as a member of a vulnerable group can increase the risk for some persons, such as college-aged women.
• Bumper stickers can alert thieves that you may have something of interest to them in your vehicle, including your children.