As first frosts of the year hit, the AA has taken this very opportune moment to remind motorists not to leave cars unattended with the engine running.
Thieves know that many motorists switch their engines on at this time of year and leave them running for a while to warm through and will look out for this chance to make an easy steal.
Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance said;
“To car thieves, frosty mornings are a gift,” he says. “Organised criminals cruise suburbs looking for the tell-tale plume of steam rising from the exhaust and if the car is unattended, it takes only a few seconds for it to vanish.
“Such cars – especially upmarket models – are often stolen to order and are unlikely ever to be recovered unless they are equipped with a tracking device.”
Thieves look for any opportunity to steal cars especially in cases where the keys may have been left in the ignition; for example at filling stations or at pay-and-display car parks where the owner may have left the car to obtain a ticket. Of course, car insurance companies will not cover for instances of theft resulting from leaving keys in an unattended vehicle.
“Keys are the weakest link in the car security chain,” Douglas observes. “Never, ever leave them unattended – you don’t know who is watching and waiting for just that opportunity. In such cases, an insurance claim will almost certainly not be met.”
Another common technique is ‘hooking’ car keys from a hall table or key rack near the front door, using a pole or fishing rod through the letterbox.
“If your car is being targeted, thieves will go to considerable lengths to obtain the keys and whisk you car away” concludes Douglas.
