Timely advice on beating summer car crime

With summer here, and the August Bank Holiday looming (August 25), thousands will be taking to the roads by car, often parking up for hours on end or in many cases entire days in car parks in the countryside or at the seaside.

With summer here, and the August Bank Holiday looming (August 25), thousands will be taking to the roads by car, often parking up for hours on end or in many cases entire days in car parks in the countryside or at the seaside.

In warmer weather drivers are tempted to park with the car windows lowered to keep the interior cool and more soft-top and convertible cars hit the roads. This provides havens for opportunist thieves, on the lookout for rich pickings from vehicles left unattended while day-trippers and holidaymakers spend their days in the shops or on the beach.

According to Home Office figures, car crime makes up nearly a fifth (20 per cent) of all recorded crimes and a staggering two-thirds of recorded vehicle crime are thefts from cars. Nearly a quarter (22 per cent) of car crime takes place in car parks. One-in-ten calls to Green Flag for assistance involves recovery of a vehicle immobilised because of a break-in or vandalism.

It may be difficult to protect your car from a seasoned professional," said Green Flag spokesperson Nigel Charlesworth. However, most car crime is opportunistic, and with vigilance and common sense, we can all do our bit to beat the thieves."

Green Flag recommends the following tips to help prevent car crime this summer.

Never leave a car door unlocked or a window or sunroof open, no matter how hot the weather is. Even a minute or two is too long -- it only takes a second to reach inside.

Dont leave belongings on view in your car. A thief will break a window to grab a handbag, coat or shopping bag. If you have to leave personal possessions in your car, lock them in the boot.

Dont leave credit cards or chequebooks in the glove compartment or under the seat. Figures show that 20 per cent of stolen cheque and credit cards are taken from cars.

If you have a stereo with a detachable front, always remove from view.
Always park in well-lit, open locations if possible, or in secure car parks.

Also, Green Flag advises that motorists go further with anti-theft devices, alarms conforming to British Standard 6803, lockable petrol caps, and immobilising devices.

Nigel Charlesworth added: With increasing driver vigilance and encouragement for manufacturers to fit deadlocks and laminated glass, the tide will turn when the thief considers a car not worth breaking into, or just too much effort."

Ends

Notes to editors

Source: Home Office, The Vehicle Crime Reduction Action Team, Tackling Vehicle Crime: A Five Year Strategy.
Green Flag Motoring Assistance provides roadside rescue and recovery to almost 5m customers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Many join through unique partnership arrangements with some of the UKs largest businesses and organisations.
Green Flags incident management centre in Leeds handles around 1m calls each year.
On average, Green Flag reaches customers within 35 minutes (verified by research).
Green Flag customers give the service a 98 per cent satisfaction rating (based on the results of questionnaires sent to 500,000 customers).
Customers have access to a national network of independent recovery agents and 6,000 qualified technicians.
More than 90 per cent get assistance within the hour.
Green Flag supports the best of British motor racing and is sponsor of the Green Flag British Touring Cars Championship
Green Flag Motoring Assistance insurance products are underwritten by UK Insurance Ltd, a member of the General Insurance Standards Council.

Press calls

For further information contact Nigel Charlesworth/Melanie Denny at Green Flag on 0113 399 1427/1387 (out of hours: 07711 964 615).

Public-relations@greenflag.com            www.greenflag.com