The big freeze is causing a new wave of thefts as thieves steal cars or car parts when motorists leave their cars unattended to defrost.

According to new research by Sainsbury’s Car Insurance, as many as 461,000 people in the past five years have been victim of this crime, with an average of 92,000 people a year.

More than one in five of these victims did not get their cars or car parts back after they were stolen.

“Motorists must take care not to leave their vehicles vulnerable to opportunistic thieves,” said Ben Tyte, Sainsbury’s Car Insurance head.

“When it’s freezing outside it can be tempting to leave the engine running to speed up the defrosting process while you nip back inside to finish getting ready, but this could have terrible consequences.”

Tips for Defrosting your Car

If you are worried about being late in the morning for work because of the extra time it takes to defrost your car take a look at these tips.

While it is a good idea to start the engine straight away to warm it up and get the fan heaters defrosting the ice on the window, make sure you do not leave your car unattended.

Scrape away the top layer of snow which is usually soft and then get a pan of tepid water to pour over the windscreen, ensuring your windscreen wipers are defrosted to then help move away the defrosted ice.

Make sure you use antifreeze and de-ice all of your windows and lights before setting off on your journey.  It is also important to make sure the snow on top of the car is removed so it does not fall onto the windscreen while you are driving and obscure your vision.

If you have had any cars parts stolen recently, and are looking to replace them, try searching online for quality car parts at discounted prices.

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