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Cold Frosty Mornings Winter Crime Prevention Advice
Winter Crime Prevention Advice
It is that time of the year again Get ready for some cold temperatures. It is expected to drop below -7 -8 in places overnight. Do not let the thieves take advantage of you leaving your car defrosting on your drive.
Beware of car thieves whilst defrosting your vehicle!
CRIME PREVENTION ADVICE FOR FROSTY MORNINGS
Protect your frost covered vehicles from opportunist thieves. Northamptonshire Police would like to remind motorists not to leave their vehicles with the keys in the ignition while the vehicles defrost. Thieves are known to target residential areas on cold and frosty mornings looking for cars where the owner has started the engine to defrost the windscreen and then returned inside, leaving the car unattended.
• If you have a garage, always put the car away at night. This not only keeps the car frost-free but also out of sight of would be car thieves.
• Always remove keys from the ignition, even if you are leaving your car, just to open a garage door. It only takes a thief a few seconds to jump in and drive away.
• Cover your windscreen the night before a frost is forecast. This will shorten the amount of time it takes to clear the windscreen.
• Ensure you have the required de-icing materials available.
• Stay with your car while it is defrosting. You may even consider taking a cup of tea out with you while you wait.
• Make sure you allow yourself longer in the morning to get ready if frost or snow has been forecast the night before.
• Motorists should also be aware that some motor insurance policies become invalid, or the cover reduced, if a car is stolen as a result of keys being left in the ignition.
Following the above advice will help protect yourself, your vehicle(s) and others from harm on our roads this winter.
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Message Sent By
Les Conopo (Police, Community Support Officer, Daventry & South Northants)