Leaving your vehicle running in your driveway may invalidate your car insurance if your car is stolen. A policeman has cautioned that if you let your car defrost and warm up while you stay warm in your house, you could find yourself without valid vehicle insurance. Devon and Cornwall Constabulary’s PC Mark Humphries says that if you leave your keys in your car’s ignition while it’s unattended, you will give car thieves an opportunity to steal your vehicle.
He went on to explain that if an unattended car is stolen, your insurance company will take a dim view of it, since leaving your keys in an unattended car makes your policy void. In addition, you probably don’t realise that, by leaving your car running on an icy morning, you could be guilty of an offence.
Inspector Dave Cuff from Norfolk Constabulary said recently that people leave their engines running to warm up and defrost their cars at this time of year. If it is left unattended whilst parked in the street, however, the offence that the driver commits is called €˜quitting’. This could result in a fine, and make insurance claims for cars stolen under these circumstances invalid.
An increase in this type of theft is predicted this winter, which is proving to be one of the coldest in thirty years. Each year, there’s no less than a 20% increase in car theft by thieves who take advantage of the icy conditions in December and January, since so many people will let their car idle while they finish getting ready for work inside. Instead of defrosting your car in the morning, it’s recommended that you cover your windscreen with a newspaper or shield to prevent it frosting up, and use an ice scraper or de-icer on it in the morning.
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