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Singapore-registered cars parked in Malaysia, particularly those commonly found in Johor Bahru, can apparently be spotted easily -- without looking at their licence plates.

This is according to an observation made by a person on TikTok: Singapore-registered cars have a tendency to be parked with their front wheels turned to one side so that they are not aligned straight with the chassis.

@vinnography 🥷🥷 #iykyk #doesitwork #carlock #tirelock #fyp #sg #jb #johor #msia #car #cartok ♬ Originalton - laravioletta_

At first glance, this observation implies that Singapore car drivers might have issues parking in Malaysia, or that there exists differences in etiquette or culture, such as the more common practice of parking bonnet-first up north, which results in the steering wheel being left as it is after coming to a stop.

Activate manual steering lock

The explanation, however, appears more about safety and offering peace of mind.

According to some commenters, the practice of turning the steering wheel fully to one side after parking and turning off the engine prevents the stationary vehicle from being towed as the manual steering lock will be activated.

This also deters thieves who might want to steal the car as it makes it more difficult to make away with it.

However, some commenters said such a method might not be enough to deter a thief bent on stealing the car as there are other methods of turning on the ignition.

Some quipped that directly removing the tyres is the best prevention against thefts.

Others suggested using another steering wheel lock will provide double protection for the car.

One commenter, though, noted that a Toyota has Tesla rims.

Top photos via @vinnography TikTok