Motor insurance: Christmas presents 'are a target for car thieves'

Tuesday, 02 January 2007

You may be the proud owner of a new car or a new sat-nav system after Christmas but be warned that January is the worst month for vehicle break-ins, according to a new report.

Autoglass, a windows replacement company, says there was a 17 per cent rise in the amount of window replacements needed between 2005 and 2006 after thieves smashed glass to get to electronic goods.

The average cost of such break-ins has risen to £646 with one in seven Brits being the victim of a vehicle burglary.

Nigel Doggett, Autoglass's managing director, said: "Worryingly, our research shows that 15 per cent of vehicle owners leave their valuables in full view and 28 per cent think that hiding things under the seats or in the door pockets is a good enough deterrent."

He warns that car insurance customers can only prevent thefts by removing all traces of expensive equipment from the vehicle which includes the window suckers included on sat-nav systems.

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