CAR CRIME HOW TO AVOID IT

But even the most state of the art vehicle can't provide a deterrent when some of the strains of heavy shopping start to tell on their drivers.

These instances, compiled by the RAC Foundation, tell their own story:
• The shopper who loaded up his car with presents before returning to the shops for more, activated the alarm and walked off leaving the car door open.
• The driver who drove off leaving a pile of shopping behind.
• The motorist so engrossed in her shopping list that she completely forgot to lock the car.
• The harassed car owner who filled the back seat of his vehicle with shopping because the boot was already full of rubbish for the tip. The rubbish was, of course untouched when he returned, unlike the shopping.
• The driver who went shopping, leaving the keys in the ignition.
• The distracted individual who left house keys on the dash along with opened addressed mail.
• The careless car-owner with good intentions, placed lap-top, phone and briefcase in the boot of his estate car, but forgot to close over the cover.

On heavy shopping trips, ordinarily sensible and well organised people frequently get distracted because they have such a lot on their mind: not taking care of mundane things like locking the car can be a consequence. But now that much car theft is more opportunistic, motorists need to be extra vigilant to protect their vehicles and contents. The most prudent advice is to park in a well lit, security patrolled area and ensure that all goods are firmly locked in the boot or covered by an estate load cover. Some people actually advocate moving their car to a different area of the same car park between trips.



Other car crimes devised by devious thieves include:



Frosting

For years, opportunist thieves have been seizing the opportunity to steal cars whenever they are left unattended for a few minutes - whether from petrol station forecourts, outside school or shops. Now they have caught onto the idea of nipping in while motorists leave their engines running while the car defrosts on icy mornings. As the driver pops into the house for a quick cup of tea, the thief makes off with an early Christmas present. The moral of this one is obvi...