A few small steps will decrease the possibilities of your car being stolen or broken into.
Approximately 20% of Irish motorists are guilty of habits that leave their car vulnerable to being stolen or broken into, according to an AA car insurance survey.
Almost one in five motorists admit to leaving valuable items exposed in their car on an occasional basis, increasing the risk of their car being broken into in the process.
While 44% of respondents said they never do, 5.7% of over 6,000 motorists surveyed said they regularly left valuable items exposed, 2.62% said they did so daily, with 11.22% saying they seldom did so and 34.87% admitting to being guilty of it on a rare occasion.
Other habits which increased the risk of theft include motorists neglecting to lock their car when leaving it unattended after purchasing petrol or diesel. 16.11% of motorists surveyed said they regularly leave their car unattended, with just over one out of 100 admitting to doing so every day.
While just over 40% of motorists said they always keep their car keys stored in a safe and discreet location at their home, meanwhile, a little under 40% (14.35% daily, 20.67% regularly) said they keep them in a place where they could easily be found by a home intruder or someone who does not have permission to use the car.
“As we move into the winter season the risk of both car and home break-ins heightens compared to the summer months, particularly from early-December where Christmas presents may be hidden in your home or car,” said Conor Faughnan, AA Director of Consumer Affairs.
“For this reason it’s important that we all exercise additional caution in the coming weeks and months when leaving our cars unattended and that, in particular, we’re cautious about leaving any items of value visible when parking your car anywhere, even if you’re just running into a shop for two minutes.”
“Staying ahead of burglars and vandals can be difficult, but the last thing you want to do is make their job easier for them by leaving your car unlocked even when you only expect to be away from the car for a few minutes,” Faughnan added.
“We’ve all wandered into a petrol station on at least one occasion and found ourselves stuck there for longer than we anticipated and unfortunately even a short delay can give thieves enough time to access your car.
“It’s also important to be careful with where you leave your keys when at home. In the worst case scenario where someone illegally accesses your home the last thing you want is for them to also have access to any valuables in your car or potentially drive off with it.”
The AA offered up the following tips to prevent motorists from having their cars stolen or broken into:
- Don’t be a temptation to the thief – lock your valuables in the boot.
- Park legally in a secure place.
- Lock the doors when driving.
- Park before 11.00pm for greater comfort.
- Use off street car parks.
- Lock the car! It is all too easy to forget the obvious.
- Use a steering wheel lock, especially if you’re driving an older vehicle. Cars built before 1996 are at high risk. Cars built after 1996 are at low risk and cars built after 1999 are at very low risk.
- Check your insurance.
