Keeping valuables secure (From Echo)

Keeping valuables secure

2:37pm Monday 8th June 2009 in Cars

UK MOTORISTS are potentially storing billions of pounds worth of items in their cars, despite the fact a car is broken into every 13 seconds in the UK, according to the latest research from Confused.com.

Using cars as extensions of homes is becoming increasingly common with a potential 7million drivers storing items worth more than £200 in their cars, and 2.8million drivers storing items worth more than £400.

Nearly a third of Londoners use their cars for storage, due to a lack of room in their homes.

However, Londoners are not the only ones who claim to lack storage in their homes. Nearly 19 per cent of 25-34 year olds are in the same predicament, with their car boots being used to hoard items such as sat navs, books, glasses and sports equipment.

Another significant reason for drivers leaving valuable items in their cars is forgetfulness, with nearly three in four people claiming they frequently leave items in their cars simply because they didn’t remember to remove them.

Will Thomas, head of car insurance quotes at Confused.com, said: “While cars can be viewed as providing extra storage space for some, especially in areas such as London where homes tend to be comparatively smaller, it is ill-advised to store expensive items such as golf clubs in cars for long periods of time.

“If it’s necessary to store personal possessions in cars, it is important all precautions are taken to make sure theft is prevented, not least locking the car and storing items out of sight.

“Failure to do so could invalidate any insurance claim.”