You’d be surprised by how many people still do this.
It’s been cold around Ireland in the last few days and as result, Irish motorists have been greeted with the sight of their car windows covered in frost first thing in the morning.
Often in a rush to get things done before heading to wherever they have to go, some motorists will leave their car running to defrost the windscreen while they return inside, thereby providing thieves with an easy opportunity to hop in and drive the car away without even having to break in.
Sad and unsettling as that sounds, it’s a very real threat, with An Garda Síochána reporting two vehicle thefts under those circumstances on Friday morning.
Attention all drivers! Reports of 2 cars stolen this morning after drivers left their car running to defrost windscreen. If defrosting, remain in your vehicle or use an ice scraper. #winterready pic.twitter.com/x8ADvGMiuh
— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) November 17, 2017
As well as reporting the incidents, Gardaí warned motorists to remain in their vehicle if waiting for a windscreen to defrost or to use an ice scraper.
Obvious advice it may be, but it’s still obviously not being heeded.
At the weekend, meanwhile, AA Ireland warned that the risk of vehicles being broken into or stolen increases coming up to Christmas and that one in five Irish motorists are guilty of habits which increase the risk of that happening.
You can’t say you haven’t been warned.
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