Increased car crime is driving up car insurance premiums at their fastest rate for 15 years, according to a car insurance provider.
Over the last three months, premiums have risen 5%, with thieves often targeting expensive vehicles.
Once these are stolen they are often never found as they may be taken overseas, cloned or dismantled for parts.
The car insurance provider believes that much of the car crime is down to driver carelessness.
For example, there has been a 15% increase in claims this year from people who had their car keys stolen from inside their house.
Common tactics include:
- Fishing for keys through the letterbox;
- Breaking in to a house at night or when it is obviously empty;
- Pickpocketing or stealing handbags to get keys;
- Breaking into places where drivers might have left keys such as gym lockers or cloakrooms;
- Taking keys from desks, jacket pockets or drawers in workplaces;
- Violently pulling drivers out of their car when parking.
The car insurance provider also warned drivers against leaving their cars running to warm them up on frosty mornings.
A spokesperson said: “Keys are the weakest link in the car theft chain and modern cars can’t easily be taken without them.
“Unfortunately, many drivers still leave keys in their cars even for a moment, for example, popping back into the house because they have forgotten something, at petrol stations or while feeding a pay-and-display machine or parking meter.”
