Motorists are largely ignorant of car crime and leave themselves open to being robbed, according to a disturbing AA survey.
It asked members about their knowledge of car theft and robberies and found a quarter did not consider it at all, a tenth believed modern cars are thief-proof, and 4% don’t lock cars.
Yet police figures show that after years of decline, thefts of cars has jumped nearly a fifth and stolen items from cars have risen 13%.
Most thefts are opportunist but some are planned with criminals watching vehicles, officers or homes, even shopping centres, and they use either basic tools or sophisticated methods to enter cars or drive away. Even modern cars can be taken and two years ago the most stolen was the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
AA advice is to always lock your car and if using a remote make sure you hear a ‘click’ before walking away and then keep the key in a metal box overnight or well away from your front door. You should also keep items out sight in the vehicle, and never leave anything of value inside.
You can get further help by watching the AA video on car crime.