We’ve all been there… It’s a chilly winter morning, you’re running late for work and you glance out of the bedroom window to see that your car is encrusted with twinkling, icy frost. But you should avoid leaving your keys in the ignition if you’re going to leave your car unattended; cars left to defrost with the engine running are an opportunist thief’s dream.
What is the best solution though? Friends have warned us that pouring boiling water from the kettle onto the windscreen to melt the ice is a terrible idea. The can of de-icer ran out last week and there’s been no time to replace it. And you’ve snapped one too many credit cards, trying to scrape off the frost with numb fingers. In desperation, some time-pressed motorists choose to put their keys in the ignition, start the car and put the windscreen heaters on full blast. That way, by the time they’ve eaten their cornflakes and hastily headed out the door, they’ll be able to start their morning commute frost-free. However, with the doors unlocked, car engine running and no-one around, these motorists make it extremely easy for opportunistic car thieves to steal cars in a matter of seconds.
Unfortunately, the only answer is the sensible one; take your time and use a proper scraper or de-icer. By all means turn on the engine and get the car warmed up, but only while you are present. Don’t make life easy for these opportunist car thieves. Make sure you don’t leave your vehicle with the keys in it at any time. It would be awful to lose your car, and then discover that you’re not covered by your insurance.
Scottish newspapers reported in January last year that a pair of thieves had helped themselves to three cars in one day, after drivers had left them to defrost with the engines running. The year before, former England midfielder Paul Scholes lost his £30,000 Chevrolet, which was left with its engine on and defrosting on his private drive.
To make matters worse, what many people are unaware of is that leaving your car keys in the ignition while the car is unattended can, in fact, invalidate your car insurance!
Although most drivers know that they should always take their keys out of the vehicle and lock it when they walk away (even for a very short time), vehicles are easily stolen when motorists:
- Leave the car running outside their home on a cold morning
- Pop into a shop for a matter of minutes
- Jump out to quickly use a postbox
When it comes to defrosting your car, keep up to date with the weather forecasts and perhaps invest in some quality de-icing tools this winter. It could save you a lot of time and money!
If you have any questions about car insurance and what can be claimed for then give our friendly team a call on 01243 219300. Or visit www.PayingTooMuch.com to get a quote in minutes.
Source - LV.com
