Crime Prevention is the Key

In today’s hectic world, we’re all busy rushing to the next important job and perhaps you too have found yourself leaving your vehicle unlocked, a mobile phone on the car seat or even the windows wound down.

Vehicle related crime accounts for 20% of all UK crime, with the majority carried out in car parks and side streets*. Unfortunately there’s no way of knowing whether you’re car or van will be the next victim, so making sure you secure your vehicle is essential.

Here are CORGI Insurance Services top tips to help make your car or van less appealing to thieves:

Security

How often do you hear an alarm go off and take no notice? Car alarms are a good deterrent to thieves, however they can easily be ignored. We’d recommend an immobiliser along with other visual deterrents such as a steering wheel lock. Hiding your spare key in an obvious place such as the wheel arch may also attract trouble, being a common place for thieves to look. If you need to leave a key out for whatever reason, make sure it is secure, for example with a trusted neighbour.

Parking

When you’re going back and forth collecting tools and materials, ensure your car is in a safe place and securely locked – especially if you’re not familiar with the area. At the end of the working day, if you’re planning to park in a side street, leave your car under or near a street light as thieves are often put off by well-lit areas. An easy and cost effective way to secure your own driveway is to install a security light.

Possessions

Avoid theft of your tools by checking your vehicle is locked at all times. Make sure that all visible valuables such as a satnav or its charger are well hidden. Leaving your glove box open will show thieves there is nothing worth taking.

Insurance

Your car or van insurance policy should help to protect you should the worst happen, however there are exclusions in insurance policies that may end up leaving you out of pocket.

If you‘ve ever left your car unlocked while filling up at a petrol station or defrosting the windscreen in the morning you could be in for a shock. Insurers have recently started to exclude claims where keys have been left in the vehicle or doors have been left unlocked.

Although exclusions in a policy can often be quite difficult to understand, and have resulted in legal cases over the definition of words such as ‘unattended’, it’s still important to check through the exclusions and what reasonable care you’re expected to take to prevent a loss.

The time to debate whether you took reasonable care of your vehicle isn’t after it has been stolen. So next time you leave your vehicle, however much of a rush you’re in, check that the vehicle is locked, is parked in a secure area, all valuables have been removed and you have your keys with you – in the long run it will save you a lot of hassle and money!

If you have any queries on your business or commercial vehicle insurance or would like a free no obligation quotation, then call the CORGI Insurance Services team on 08457 58 51 60 or email corgi-insurance@ars.aon.co.uk

*survey conducted by the Home Office 2005/ 06, visit www.homeoffice.gov.uk.