Terms and conditions contained in the policy documentation apply. Download the policy documentation here.
Obtain an instant quote for a Your Cover Car insurance policy online now.
Skip to content
ONE OF THE UK’S LARGEST GENERAL INSURERS. Find out more about Allianz Insurance plc.
Keeping your vehicle safe from car crime
Protecting your vehicle and its contents with flexible and good value insurance cover is Your Cover’s principal concern. We are, however, committed to helping all car owners enjoy safe and trouble-free motoring in every way possible. Helping you to avoid falling victim to car crime, which is as unsettling as it is inconvenient, is very much of interest to us.
Since, the mid 1990s when car crime in the UK reached its peak, break-ins and theft from cars have reduced by two thirds. This is due in large part to the arrival of immobilisers and alarms, and the gradual disappearance of cars whose door locks could readily be overcome by a teenager with a coat hanger.
Still, around 1.5 million car crimes do occur each year, accounting for some 13% of all recorded crime in England and Wales, according to Home Office figures.
| Protecting against car crime |
Your Cover’s Car contents insurance and Roof box & trailer insurance options protect personal possessions in your car, and in your roof box or trailer, providing you have made sensible efforts to store these out of view. However, a few simple precautions can dramatically decrease the possibility of you being a victim of car crime.
Don’t leave anything at all on view in your car, not even an old coat or carrier bag. A thief may not share your “who’d want to steal that?” view, and may gamble that an old coat might have something more valuable underneath it. If you have things in your car that you cannot take with you, then move them discreetly to the boot, or to the cargo area if you drive a hatchback or estate, and pull a rigid cover over the top of them so that it does not reveal that items are stowed underneath. If you have a laptop, or your handbag or briefcase or anything else of real value, the rule is never leave them in the car. Keep a collapsible nylon bag, of the sort sold in travel shops, in your car so that you can pop possessions in it and take them with you when you go. If you have a roof box or trailer, and have to leave items inside, ensure that the roof box is properly closed and locked, and that trailers are covered and secured with padlocks. It might be a good idea to consider including Roof box & trailer insurance in Your Cover, to cover the value of your roof box or trailer themselves in case they were to be stolen, though anything inside them would need to be covered by the Car contents insurance option.
The Home Office reports that having security equipment, and especially an electronic immobiliser, which prevents your engine from being started, makes your car more than ten times safer. If your car does not have an alarm and immobiliser fitted, then ask an auto-security fitter approved by the Vehicle Systems Installation Board to provide you with a quote for installing them. Check that any equipment you are going to have installed is approved by either Thatcham, which is an industry body made up of all major insurers including Your Cover, or by Sold Secure, a body run by the Master Locksmiths Association.
Buy a steering wheel lock and use it whenever you get out of your car, as well as, or as a lower cost alternative to, an electronic immobiliser. It makes no sense at all for a thief to waste their time on a vehicle whose steering is clearly locked up, when there will be an unguarded vehicle nearby. Buy locking wheel nuts and fit them. Stealing wheels takes time, and neither professional thieves nor casual opportunists want to tackle locking nuts. Etch your car registration or Vehicle Identification Number onto every pane of glass, as well as the glass of your headlights. Disguising your car would then involve changing every piece of glass, making it costly and complex for a thief, and so unappealing to steal. Mark your vehicle registration number onto your car stereo, and any other item of auto electrical equipment, removable or non-removable.
It’s easy and convenient to come home, switch off your engine and leave your car outside the door ready to go, but if you have a garage then use it as much as you can. Lock the car and lock the garage. It is far harder to break into or steal a locked vehicle in a locked garage, than one that’s sitting by the kerb ready to go. If you have to leave your car on the street at night, try to leave it where it is well lit. Shadows make car crime far easier to pull off. If you have to leave your car on the street during the day, follow the same principle, and leave it somewhere busy. If you’re putting your car in a car park, even for a short time, try to use an attended car park, and if possible use one which is part of the Police endorsed ‘Park Mark’ Safer Parking scheme.
Don’t leave doors unlocked, even for the few seconds it takes to post a letter, or go indoors to pay for petrol. Don’t leave windows open. Do not leave a pet in your car so that you have to leave a window open, even by a tiny amount, to allow air to flow. If any of your door locks or catches, or your central locking, are not working properly, have them fixed straight away and never, ever leave your car unattended with the keys in the ignition.
As vehicle security has improved reduced the likelihood of cars being broken into and hot wired the focus has moved to stealing the keys of the car. At home ensure your car keys are kept in a safe place out of sight and away from windows and doors especially the front door where thieves can reach in to the house through your letterbox. When out and about keep your keys on your person wherever possible – if you hand your coat in to a cloakroom or to a waiter to hang up in a restaurant remove your keys first and keep them with you. Take care of your keys as you would take care of your wallet or handbag. If you do lose your keys report the loss to the police as soon as you discover the loss. Then report the loss to us on 0844 893 9606 – Your Cover provides up to £500 to replace the locks on your car if the keys, transmitter or immobiliser key are lost or stolen.
As cars have become harder for thieves to steal, the crime of carjacking has gained in frequency. Carjacking involves taking a car from its owner, usually by snatching the keys or making threats. Again, always remove your keys and take them with you when you get out of the car even if its only to run into a shop. (You will invalidate Your Cover and most other insurance policies if your car is stolen and it is unoccupied with the keys in or on the car.) Lock your doors while driving through urban areas. Be wary of any unexpected attempt by others to make you get out of your car. These may include flagging you down in a quiet area, or staging a minor collision with your vehicle, which you then get out of your car to inspect. These are both methods used to allow someone else to jump into your car and drive off. If you are concerned that such an incident is happening, lock your doors and drive away. Stop at the nearest police station and report the incident. |
|---|
| Car crime reduction. Getting involved in your area |
The Home Office runs a campaign which aims to help local communities work to reduce car crime in their own areas. You can find more information about this, and download the campaign guide in .pdf form from the 'How to run your own campaign to reduce vehicle crime' page on the Home Office website.
|
|---|
Your Cover is a product from Allianz Insurance plc, registered in England no 84638 at 57 Ladymead, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 1DB, United Kingdom. Allianz Insurance is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, registration number 121849 and this can be checked by visiting the FSA website at www.fsa.gov.uk.
