Motorists can no longer afford to be complacent about their car security. Figures published by the RAC[1] show 150,000 vehicles had been stolen across the UK from 2018 to 2019, up 10,000 on the previous year and almost 55,000 higher than four years earlier – an increase of 56%. Despite the rising risk of theft, 47%[2] of motorists admit to leaving their car running unattended on frosty mornings to warm it up.
Clive Wain, Head of Police Liaison at Tracker, says: “Whilst it is tempting to leave your car running with the keys in the ignition whilst unattended on frosty cold mornings, experience tells us it’s not a wise move. Not only does it make your car an easy target for opportunistic thieves, few insurers will pay out if you haven’t taken reasonable care to prevent your car from being stolen. It is also an offence under the Road Traffic Act, termed as ‘quitting’.
“Frost-jacking is when your vehicle is stolen in the minutes the car engine is on to defrost or warm up the car, and the car is left unattended. It could be frost-jacked when you are getting ready for work, popping into a shop or dropping the kids into school, with or without keys or a car fob. Whenever you leave your car engine on, unattended, you are inviting criminals to take your car from you.”
Motorists also need to be aware they can be fined and face other penalties for failing to de-ice their car windows properly in freezing weather. So, while it is imperative to fully defrost the windows, motorists need to be vigilant in never leaving their car unattended whilst waiting for ice to thaw.
Clive Wain concludes, “Running your engine to warm up your car is completely safe so long as you don’t leave the vehicle unattended. Owners of new models such as the Range Rover Sport with heated windscreens and snowy terrain settings, or the BMW X5 with heated washer jets and all-season tyres should have no reason to leave their vehicles running idle. However, owners of these vehicles should take extra care because they were two of the UK's most stolen and recovered vehicles by Tracker in 2019.”
Tracker has a unique partnership with UK police forces. Unlike other stolen vehicle recovery devices, Tracker’s unique technology can locate vehicles anywhere, even when they are hidden in a garage or shipping container.
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