Car owners at risk of ID theft

One-in-ten British car owners are putting themselves at risk of identity theft by forgetting to remove sensitive documents such as bills and statements from the view of opportunistic thieves, according to research from Prudential Car Insurance.

The insurer says car owners need to think twice as they lock up and walk away – 2.7 million unwittingly leave precious belongings behind with one-in-five leaving as much as £150 in valuables within the potential reach of thieves. With 1.3 million thefts from vehicles each year Prudential is urging people to change their security habits.

Indeed, a further 12 per cent admit to having more than £350 worth of valuables in full view on either the front or rear seats of the car. Yet, despite the fact that British cars seem to be potential goldmines for thieves, seven per cent of car owners admit they forget to store expensive personal items in the car boot and six per cent admit they sometimes forget to lock their car altogether.

Prudential car insurance research reveals the most likely items to be left on show in the car include:

1. Clothes for the office (17 per cent)
2. Sports equipment (13 per cent)
3. Letters, bills, statements (10 per cent)
4. Work files (10 per cent)
5. Mobile phone (10 per cent)
6. iPod / MP3 player (4 per cent)
7. Laptop (2 per cent)

The study also highlights how many car owners have the tendency to treat their car as a second home, with 17 per cent keeping clothes for the office in the car and a further 13 per cent storing sports equipment, such as tennis rackets, gym kit and footballs.

Gill Murphy, spokesperson for Prudential Car Insurance, comments: “With the average cost of an iPod, work suit and laptop totalling around £900, drivers without adequate insurance who leave these items lying around could face a hefty bill if their car is broken into. What is also concerning is the six per cent of car owners who actually forget to lock their car at all – providing thieves with easy pickings.”