UK's Bounty in the Booty!

Forget 60 seconds, Confused.com warns drivers that billions could be gone in just 13.

Cardiff (PRWEB) -- UK motorists are potentially storing billions of pounds worth of items in their cars, despite the fact that a car is broken into every 13 seconds in the UK, according to the latest research from car insurance (http://www.confused.com/) specialists Confused.com.*

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

Nearly a third (29%) 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 1 in 5 (19%) 25-34 year olds are in the same predicament, with their boots being used to hoard items such as sat navs, books, glasses and even sports equipment like golf clubs.

Another significant reason for drivers leaving valuable items in their cars is forgetfulness, with nearly three in four (72%) people claiming that they frequently leave items in their cars simply because they forgot to remove them.

Will Thomas, head of car insurance quotes (http://www.confused.com/) at Confused.com, says:

"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 is necessary to store personal possessions in cars, it is important that all precautions are taken to make sure that theft is prevented, not least locking the car and storing items out of sight - failure to do so could invalidate any insurance claim. But, undoubtedly, leaving any item in a car will increase the chances of theft."

"Should any items be stolen from cars, it is better to claim on home contents insurance (http://www.confused.com/home-insurance) as car insurance only typically covers belongings up to the value of £250. Although, homeowners will need to ensure they have added this option (personal items away from home) to their policy. Most providers will ask for any items valued at more than £1,000 to be specified on the policy.

As with any insurance policy, people should check the terms and conditions to ensure that it is right for their needs."

-ENDS-

www.met.police.uk/crimeprevention/vehicle.htm

For further information please contact:

Press office, Confused.com: 02920 434 398

Joanna Harte/ Liz Leach/ Gug Kyriacou, Polhill Communications: 020 7655 0550

Notes to editors

Research:

The survey was completed by 2000 respondents, during the month of April 2009, and was conducted by Tickbox.

About Confused.com:

Confused.com is one of the UK's biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include home insurance (http://www.confused.com/home-insurance), travel insurance, pet insurance, van insurance, motorbike insurance, breakdown cover and energy, as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance.

Confused.com has a panel of 83 motor insurance providers and could save customers over £205* on their annual car insurance policy.

Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides a free, objective and unbiased comparison service. By using cutting-edge technology, it has developed a series of intelligent web-based solutions that evaluate a number of risk factors to help customers with their decision-making, subsequently finding them great deals on a wide-range of insurance products, financial services, utilities and more. Confused.com's service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK suppliers and industry regulators.

Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.

*Based on 12% of customers who received a motor insurance quote in the first quarter of 2009 and provided a best alternative price saved over £205.80.

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