Half of motorists are at risk from 'frost jacking' as it is being called.
Frost jacking occurs when people leave their cars running outside their homes to warm up in cold weather. This of course leaves them liable to thieves simply driving their car away.
Swiftcover.com, the car insurance provider, has researched the problem and found that 47 per cent of drivers said they regularly leave the motor running to warm their car up while they are inside their houses in the morning. Swiftcover estimates that £12.7 million worth of car theft is carried out each year because of the practice of leaving a car unattended in cold weather.
What drivers need to bear in mind is that if a car is taken while the keys are in the ignition and the car is unlocked, it is unlikely that car insurers will pay out. Therefore, motorists are taking huge risks by leaving their cars unattended to defrost while they stay inside to keep warm.
Insurers claim that many people who leave their cars unattended have an "it won't happen to me" mindset when it comes to frost jacking.
