As the dark nights and cold mornings creep in, don’t be tempted to leave your vehicle running on the drive to defrost while you stay inside in the warm. It would only take a thief seconds to drive off. If your vehicle is stolen while left unattended with the engine running your insurance may well be invalid, leading to major cost implications as well as the huge inconvenience of being left without your wheels.

While you’re thinking about vehicle security, here’s some other simple but effective precautions you can take to reduce your risk of becoming a victim of crime:

• Lock the doors and close the windows and sun roof every time you leave
  your car or van, even for a moment.
• Don’t leave anything on display – even a jacket can seem like an appealing
  target if a thief thinks there might be something in the pockets. Be mindful of not leaving presents on display during the busy Christmas shopping season ahead.
• If you have a removable satellite navigation device, remove this wherever
  possible. Remember to also remove the support cradle and suction pad,
  and wipe away any marks left on the windscreen or dashboard.
• Store vehicle documents in your home, not your car or van.
• Keep your keys out of sight, even in your house. If your vehicle has keyless entry, keep the key in a signal blocking pouch or tin to stop a thief hijacking the signal from outside your property and using this to gain entry.
• Park in well-lit areas that are visible to others or covered by CCTV. If you
  have a garage at home, use it.