Car Owners Urged To Keep Car Keys Safe As Vehicle Thefts Rise

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Thu, 22 Oct 2009

British motorists are being urged to be more careful with their car keys after new research revealed a significant rise in the number of vehicles being stolen using the owner’s own set of keys.

According to AA Insurance, car thieves have been forced to adapt their techniques and tactics as improved vehicle security means that many modern cars are pretty much impossible to steal without their keys.

The insurance group said it has recorded a 15 per cent increase in claims from people who have had their car keys stolen from inside their own home, with letterboxes being used in most cases to fish the keys out.

It also revealed that car thieves often break into houses while the occupants are away to specifically look for keys, or target places where drivers regularly leave their keys such as handbags, clothes pockets and even changing-room lockers.

During the cold winter months, opportunistic thieves also target cars that are left running on driveways to warm up.

AA Insurance added that the growing number of vehicles that are being driven away without being broken into has caused car insurance premiums to rise by an average of 5 per cent over the past three months.