Motorists careless with keys

Carelessness with our keys is contributing to a car being stolen every 60 seconds in the UK every year, according to new research by AA Insurance.

As temperatures drop, a fifth of us (20%) admit to leaving keys in the car ignition with the engine running as we go back into the house waiting for the car to defrost in the morning.

The ‘AA Insurance Under Lock and Key’ study also reveals:

One in 10 (9%) Brits confesses to regularly keeping their car keys in their cars
A third (30%) keep their keys by their front doors within easy reach of thieves.
One in three Brits (29%) regularly leave their car keys in the ignition to go back into the house to collect something they’ve forgotten – giving plenty of time for an opportunist thief to make a getaway

Scots slack on security
Scots are the worst when it comes to keeping hold of their keys. Nearly four in 10 (38%) keep their keys in their cars, over four times the national average. The harsher temperatures will drive more Scots inside this winter, with 65% saying they leave their car ticking over while waiting for the car to defrost, compared to just 20% across the rest of the UK.

AA Insurance’s managing director, Kevin Sinclair says, "Modern cars are incredibly difficult to steal – unless the thief has the keys. Thieves are turning to more ingenious ways to steal keys such as hooking them off a hall table or key rack by ‘fishing’ through the letterbox, so keep keys well away from the front door.

"And, what’s even more amazing, is the large number of people who literally offer an open invitation to thieves by leaving their cars unlocked, unattended and with the keys in the ignition – and even with the engine running on frosty mornings!

Kevin Sinclair points out that many people don’t realise insurance companies will take a very dim view of a theft claim under such circumstances and in many cases, could justifiably refuse to pay the claim.

"Even the best attitude to car security is worth nothing if the keys are kept somewhere where they can be easily stolen," he says.

Paul Watters of the AA Motoring Trust offers the following winter tips:

It is an offence to drive with obscured glass so cear all of your windows – remember poor light and low winter sun will further
impair visibility if the screen is frosty.
Ideally keep you car in a garage – or cover your windscreen with a blanket or newspapers if frost is expected
Use warm (not hot) water to clear a mild frost from the car’s glass
Keep your car keys and house keys separate, and your mobile phone on your person
Keep an eye out for unfamiliar or suspicious cars cruising your neighbourhood on a frosty morning – the occupants may be looking for unattended cars defrosting
Neighbourhood Watch schemes are a strong deterrent to car thieves