Careless motorists leaving 'desirables' on display

RAC Auto Windscreens said "smashing and grabbing" incidents from cars were "rocketing" - with a 23% rise in the number of smashed side windows reported last year due to opportunist thieves grabbing gadgets from unattended cars.

Its research had shown that a car theft taking place every 22 seconds, over 40% of motorists regularly left valuables on show in their cars. A further 25% admitted to leaving gadgets on show and unattended for more than 10 minutes at a time.

Only 3% of motorists secured their valuables in an in-car safe and just 13% put precious possessions in the boot. This meant that 84% of motorists risked being without insurance cover for their valuables if they were victims of a smash and grab theft, according to RAC Auto Windscreens.

The survey also revealed that one in ten cars had contents worth more than £1,000 more than twice the value of electrical goods in the average British bedroom (£399).

'Treasure troves'

RAC spokesman Adam Cracknell said: "Today’s cars are treasure troves packed with the latest technology and gadgets making them a target for theft. Not surprisingly, our call centres have received a surge of calls reporting thefts since Christmas and the new year sales.

"We are urging all UK motorists to take better care of their valuables by putting them in an in-car safe or locking them in the boot."

He added: "The problem is that motorists are not only enticing thieves to their cars by leaving valuables on display, but they also stand to miss out on being able to make an insurance claim if they have not secured their valuables."

The research showed that around a fifth of cars transport a laptop, while over a quarter carry some form of satellite navigation device.

One in eight cars contain MP3 players and portable DVD players, while three quarters of motorists have a mobile phone in their car.

Make a list

Reformed burglar and presenter of BBC2's To Catch a Thief programme, Michael Fraser, commented: "Leaving desirable goods such as iPods, phones and satellite navigation systems on display puts temptation in the path of opportunist thieves who will simply smash and grab the goods on show.

"Throwing a coat over expensive belongings or hiding things under the seat is not a deterrent for a determined thief. It only takes a few seconds for a thief to smash a side windscreen and make off with goods, so people are getting caught short when they leave goods unattended even for only a few minutes."

As well as investing in an in-car safe, RAC Auto Windscreens recommended that motorists choose parking spots wisely - such as using car parks with security guards and/or CCTV.

The company also suggested that drivers make a list of all valuables, calculate how much they are worth and check that their insurance cover to make sure it is adequate.