The Personal Information Bumper Stickers Reveal

Some people choose to express their personal values or political affiliations with bumper stickers, others keep it light or don’t decorate their bumpers. Bumper stickers can be fun; however, it’s important to play it safe when displaying your personal information on your vehicle. Maybe you’re considering the next addition to your bumper because you are a proud parent of an honor roll student or a new dog owner. The charm of bumper stickers is enticing, but are your bumper stickers revealing personal information?

What bumper stickers say about your family

Don’t choose bumper stickers that give away information about your family or life story, like:

• Honor student: Honor student stickers reveal where your children attend school, making them a potential target.²
• Military service or spouse: Military service or spouse stickers imply that a family member is often away.
• Colleges and universities: College stickers on your college student’s car imply their age, where they go to school and where they might be at certain times.
• Dog breeds: To protect your furry family members, avoid bumper stickers with your dog’s breed or name that could entice thieves to lure them away.
• “Baby on board”: “Baby on board” bumper stickers tell other drivers to be careful near your vehicle, but they may also alert them that you are distracted and could be an easy target.
• Family members: At one point, every SUV and minivan seemed to have stick figures on the back window depicting each family member—including cats and dogs. Remember that this information can clue strangers into who lives with you.

What bumper stickers say about your valuables

Skip the bumper stickers that could tell burglars about your big-ticket purchases:

• Companies: A sticker with your company logo could indicate that you have a laptop or other valuable materials inside your vehicle on your way home.
• National Rifle Association (NRA) or pro-gun stickers: An NRA or other pro-gun message indicates that you may have guns inside your car or home, which presents an opportunity for theft.
• Hobby-themed bumper stickers: Don’t clue people into your expensive hobbies. Be wary of alerting thieves that you hunt, ride ATVs, golf, or otherwise have valuable toys in your car, garage, or home.
• Classic car, motorcycle, ATV, or boat: Anything like, “My other car is a _______,” tells people what other expensive vehicles you might have in your garage.

How to protect yourself from home burglaries

Here are some easy tips to avoid home burglaries:

1. Make your home look occupied at all times: If you’re going to be away, set a random timer on your lights to make it look like you’re in your home at night.
2. Lock all doors and windows: Make this a habit even if you live in a safe neighborhood and people are home.
3. Keep your garage door closed and locked: You never know when someone could forget to lock the door that connects your home and your garage. Lock the garage door at all times.
4. Invest in an alarm system: This one is self-explanatory but invest in an alarm system that will tell you if anything is amiss.
5. Hold your mail while you’re away from home: Pause your newspaper subscription and hold your mail at the post office if you go on vacation so that it doesn’t pile up outside, an obvious sign that no one is home.

How to protect yourself from road rage

We define road rage as aggressive or angry behaviors motorists show while driving, including but not limited to yelling, tailgating, weaving, and speeding. Avoid tickets and road rage incidents by remaining calm and practicing defensive driving techniques.

Bumper stickers related to politics can agitate other drivers and lead to unsafe or retaliatory driving behaviors. With political tensions running high in recent years, even a simple sticker can escalate a minor traffic frustration into a dangerous encounter. Play it safe by removing political affiliations and other cause-driven bumper stickers from the back of your vehicle.