Car crime accounts for around 1 in 5 recorded offences in the UK*, and on-line car insurance specialists elephant.co.uk warns that leaving Christmas shopping on view in your car is an open invitation to car thieves.
At this time of year, motorists tend to store valuable Christmas presents in their car, making them a tempting target for quick-fingered thieves. After stereos, which still account for 22% of thefts from cars, during the festive period elephant.co.uk sees a huge rise in the number of thefts of gifts and food shopping from cars. There were 13% more thefts from cars in the run-up to Christmas 2005 than during the summer months.
“We may like to think of Christmas as the season of goodwill, but for thieves it is the season of opportunity,” commented MD of elephant.co.uk, Ceri Assiratti. “People are busy and have a lot to do to prepare for Christmas, so their minds may not be on the security of their cars.”
There are ways you can avoid being targeted by such opportunistic thieves:
- Avoid storing anything valuable in your car, especially if it is on view.
- When you park your car, make sure you leave it in a well-lit car park that has staff on duty and security cameras.
- Use your car’s parcel shelf to cover the boot.
- Leaving anything (even empty plastic bags or jackets) on view could be a temptation to thieves, so move everything out of sight or take it with you.
MD of elephant.co.uk, Ceri Assiratti, said: “We all should be much more careful about leaving valuables in our cars throughout the year, but especially as Christmas approaches.”
Issue date: 04-12-06
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