Car thieves are just driving away with our cars for the darndest reason!
- Johnathan Bomer, CISR
- Apr 23, 2019
- 2 min read
We’ve all misplaced our car keys at one point or another, but are people getting more forgetful?
That would appear to be the case if we review the recent report that the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) issued on car thefts. Thieves are driving away with our cars because we are making it too easy for them by leaving our keys and fobs right in the vehicles!
While car thefts in general are on a downward trend, the numbers of cars stolen due to keys in the car are on the rise. And it’s not just a slight uptick – there’s been a 56% increase since 2015 and an 88% increase since 2013! Every single day last year, an average of more than 200 cars were stolen due to keys in the car. You can learn more in the NICB press release on thefts of vehicles with keys, along with the short video and infographic, below.
Sometimes the keys or fobs left in the car are not due to forgetfulness – thefts spike in the winter when there are more cars being warmed up in cold weather. Beyond that, NICB doesn’t speculate as to why. It may be because they are quieter. We previously talked about how quieter, keyless cars are related to an increase in carbon monoxide deaths. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess: Too much trust in anti-theft and theft-recovery systems? An aging population of drivers? Distracted by our phones as we are powering off our cars? Hard to know.
To prevent this happening, NICB advises drivers to:
Lock the vehicle, set the alarm and take all keys or FOBS.
Do not leave the garage door opener in the vehicle.
Take a picture of your registration on your cell phone and do not leave the registration or other papers with personal information in the vehicle.
Never leave a car unlocked and running to warm it up or while stopping for a quick cup of coffee. It only takes a moment for the opportunistic thief to jump inside and drive off.
Call Your Insurance Store agent now to make sure your car is appropriately covered at 614-632-0182.
Article from Consumer Insurance Blog.