Car Frosting And The Opportunistic Thieves

Frosting is the term used when you are de-frosting and de-icing the car on a cold winter morning with the car keys in the ignition. Most people do this to warm up the car inside whilst they clear ice and snow off the windows. There are opportunistic thieves who jump at the chance to steal the car to either joy ride or use the car in a theft. With the cold winter months now in full swing, de-icing the car in the morning is a must and most people like to leave the car on to warm up the engine to be able to switch the heating on. No matter how safe you think the neighbourhood you live in is, there will always be people who target certain cars or take the opportunity to steal a car.

How to prevent car frosting?

Preventing someone from stealing your car will cause you unnecessary hassle and endless calls to the insurer and police.

• Be aware of your surroundings when you are de-icing the car
• Never leave keys in the ignition, keep them in your pocket or in the house if possible
• If you see someone suspicious lurking around, keep your eye on them
• Only put the keys in the ignition if you intend on driving the vehicle straight away
• If you need to go in the house to get an ice scraper, lock the car securely

To save time in the morning, it's handy to have the de-icer and ice scraper in the boot of the car to save you from going back and forth.

Is car frosting insured?

Frosting is not included in your insurance policy because you left the keys in the ignition so you are liable. If you become a victim of frosting, then call the police straight away as your insurers won't be able to help you. The police will then send an alert to their database and your car will be tracked down. In some cases, it will be tracked by the many speed cameras operating on roads.

Under some circumstances, the vehicle may be recovered in the same condition it was in when it was stolen but sometimes they are involved in accidents and thefts and therefore the damage could be extensive and you would have to fork out the money yourself. You could also lose your no claims bonus as a result of putting forward a claim to your insurance company.

There was recently a story in the press about a man who left his engine running whilst inside the house and when he returned to the vehicle he had been fined £30. The police officer also warned that if he continued to do this, his car would be an easy target for thieves. This goes to show you that not only it is unsafe to do so but you could also get a fine.