Car key theft is an increasing problem and millions of British motorists are failing to protect themselves, a new study warns today.
Car key theft is an increasing problem and millions of British motorists are failing to protect themselves, a new study warns today.
Norwich Union, in conjunction with TRACKER – the leading tracking and vehicles recovery company - have seen the number of incidents where vehicles have been stolen using car keys taken from the home double in the last two years.
In fact, last year TRACKER recovered over Ł7 million worth of cars stolen in this way – a 52 per cent increase from 2000.
Against a background of more advanced vehicle alarms and immobilisers , thieves are finding the easiest way to steal a modern car is by taking the keys.
Research from Norwich Union shows most motorists are unaware of this shift of emphasis, with an estimated 11 million people giving no thought whatsoever to where they leave their car keys.
One of the more sophisticated methods employed by thieves involves them using a hook and cane to reach people’s keys through their letterboxes. Norwich Union claims investigators in the north west estimate that between 30 and 40 per cent of motor theft claims in the area now involve the ‘hook and cane’ approach.
Yet three in five people admit that they don’t worry as much about the security of their car keys as they do other household items - even though the average cost of a car is 30 times that of a common household TV and video.
Jill Willis, household market development manager at Norwich Union, said: “Having your home burgled is traumatic enough, but if thieves then use your own car to get away with your possessions, it only rubs salt into the wound.
“Many people just throw their car keys down when they get home and give little thought about what that could mean if they were burgled. Most of us would never dream of leaving Ł14,000 lying around the home - the average cost of a car - so it pays to be more cautious.”
Kevin Watters, managing director of TRACKER, said: "It is no longer feasible to rely totally on the alarm or immobiliser to protect your vehicle. By taking the keys, the thief identifies the weakest link in the vehicle’s security and is able to circumvent the manufacturer’s latest security technology."
Norwich Union urges motorists to take greater care with their car keys and recommends that they should keep them in a locked cabinet or hidden away - not lying on the hall table.
Press contact:
Jane Wheeler/Anja Kueppers at QBO on 020 7379 0304 or
David Ross at Norwich Union on 08703 66 68 65
Notes to editors
- Norwich Union commissioned Taylor Nelson Sofres to interview 644 car drivers across Britain in March 2002.
- Norwich Union is the UK’s largest insurer. In general insurance it is more than 1.5 times the size of its nearest competitor, and has a 19 per cent share of the market.
- It has a focus on insurance for individuals and small businesses. It insures :
- one in five households
- one in five motor vehicles
- more than 700,000 businesses
- Norwich Union products are available through a variety of distribution channels including brokers, corporate partners such as banks and building societies, and Norwich Union Direct.
- Norwich Union's news releases are available on this internet site
- A selection of images are available from the Norwich Union Newscast site at www.newscast.co.uk
- Norwich Union Insurance Limited Registered in England Number 99122 Registered Office 8 Surrey Street Norwich NR1 3TA
- Member of the CGNU group of companies and the General Insurance Standards Council
- The TRACKER system has recovered Ł19.5 million of vehicles stolen with keys since 1994 and their statistics show a startling 52% increase in the problem between 2000 and 2001.
- TRACKER provides the motorist with a substantial degree of confidence that his/her vehicle will be recovered following a key theft, in spite of the worrying increase in acquiring keys and the willingness of many thieves to resort to violence.