By Chris Rowlands

You may laugh at the title of this article but in fact this is a very serious issue.
“Vamoose” burglaries (whereby a burglar breaks into your house and grabs your car keys) are on the increase. Many of us retire to bed in the evening blissfully unaware of how easy we could be making the thieves job.

Many of these incidents are not planned burglaries but opportunist thefts, made all the easier by the car keys effectively being handed to the thieves on a plate.

A common mistake people make is to leave their keys on a table by the door or somewhere similarly easy for the burglar to spot. This then allows the thief, with the greatest of ease to hook your keys through the letterbox.

Obviously you should be covered under your motor insurance policy for theft of your car, but it is, to say the least, rather an inconvenience. To be honest, not a nice experience all round.

“What can I do to prevent this from happening?” you ask. Well that my dear reader is simple; take your car keys to bed with you. It really is as simple as that. The majority of opportunist thieves will only enter the bottom floor of the house and grab what they can in a matter of seconds. If they get a method of transport thrown into the bargain, well, all the better.

Don’t forget to check with the supplier of your car insurance if the location of your car is covered. For example; if you have informed your insurers that your car will be garaged, when in fact it will be parked on a road, this may null and void the policy. Something as small as that can make all the difference.

There are of course other things you can do to make your house and car more secure, here are just a few examples: Install a steering wheel lock on your car, park in a well lit area/install a flood light, add extra window and door bolts, install an alarm as a visual deterrent in both the car and the house and apply some general common sense to the situation.

Above all; don’t leave your car keys on display or easily accessible. If in doubt, take them to bed!

With a recent and continuing rise in car theft, car insurance is more important than ever.
Many people leave car keys in easily accessible places in their home, making it easy for an opportunist thief. Ensure you are covered under your motor insurance policy by informing your provider of the location your car is to be housed/parked in overnight.

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