Don’t Leave Your Keys Unattended In Your Car

It may still be summer but it will not be long before winter sets in and the first snow and frost arrives. That often results in your car windscreen and other car windows freezing up.

Don't leave your car keys in your car if it is left unattendedSo, many of you will pop out to your car before having a quick bowl of cereal to start the engine to warm the car up and clear the windscreen and glass of ice as the glass warms up. Usually, you will just leave the engine running whilst you go back inside to finish your breakfast.

That is probably a big mistake because it is almost certain that if a car thief stole your vehicle whilst you were not with your car your car insurance provider would not pay out.

Most car insurance policies have a clause excluding insurance cover if the ignition keys were left in or on the car and the car was stolen, or someone attempted to steal it or caused malicious damage. Following a ruling by the Court of Appeal in 2004 many car insurance companies have changed that wording to exclude insurance cover if the car was left unattended and unlocked or if the keys were left on or in the vehicle.

So, next time you think of doing the above, don’t. Instead why not put your coat on and take your ice scraper and de-icer spray can out to the car and put a little bit of elbow grease into scraping off the ice. By all means, have the engine running to warm the car up whilst you are clearing the windscreen but do not leave it unattended.

Car thieves are well aware that many people will leave their car unattended with the engine running in cooler weather so don’t become another statistic of this type of theft otherwise it is likely to cost you dearly.