New research suggests motorists are becoming complacent about car crime. With the Christmas season approaching, car insurance provider Admiral says car owners should be stepping up security.

Admiral questioned 3,000 motorists and discovered that 73% had left personal items on display in their unattended cars this year, up from 71% last year.

The most common items left on show were coats and jackets; 59% of motorists admitted they had left these in their unattended cars, up 3% from 2008. Other items that are more frequently left on display than last year are CDs, handbags and MP3 players.

Admiral managing director, Sue Longthorn, said: “It’s a worrying trend that more motorists are happy to leave expensive items on show in their cars. It only takes seconds for an opportunistic car thief to break a car window and grab what’s inside.

“At this time of year, people will often leave their Christmas shopping on show on the back seat of their car. For a criminal this is an open invitation. Think how heartbroken you would be if you had your presents stolen.”

Admiral’s research also showed fewer motorists are concerned about car crime this year. It found that 76% of motorists frequently or sometimes worry about their car being broken into or stolen compared with 80% in 2008. Furthermore, only 30% said they thought car crime has increased over the last year compared with 37% in 2008.
Admiral’s own statistics back this up. The percentage of its customers who have made a theft claim has fallen year-on-year since 2005, it says. However, the company is concerned that this trend could be reversed if too many motorists become complacent.