BABY ON BOARD: Parents Leave £500 Worth of Baby Equipment in Their Car

GUILDFORD, England, June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Parents are being warned not to leave valuable baby equipment in their cars overnight as Your Cover Insurance has found that baby items worth up to £500 are left behind potentially making vehicles attractive to thieves.

The research found that two thirds (66%) of parents also admit to leaving pushchairs in their car despite spending over £300 on them. In addition to this parents leave toys, books and travel cots in their cars.

The top five baby items that parents regularly leave overnight in their cars are:

1. Pushchairs (66%)
2. Toys (52%)
3. Books (35%)
4. Spare coats (24%)
5. Travel cots (3.89%)

As well as having costly items in their cars, over half (53%) of Brits have admitted to forgetting to lock their car and despite this, less than half of Brits (46%) think they should be more careful about leaving items in their car overnight. Over half (58%) of UK drivers have admitted that they keep items in their cars overnight to avoid carrying them in out of the house when making a journey.

Andy James, spokesperson for Your Cover Insurance warned parents: "Baby equipment is expensive so it's important to remember that costly items could be stolen if their car is broken into. Parents are very good at making sure they have all the essentials to cater for travelling with young children but they also need to be mindful of car security too.

"If you take precautions such as taking equipment with you when you leave the car or making sure it is locked away out of sight, you can discourage thieves from seeing your car as a target."

The Your Cover Insurance research also found that Brits only value their cars contents at just over £100.  Parents are particularly at risk as there is a big gap between their perception and the reality of the cost of their children's items.

Andy James continues: "It is interesting to see how much Brits underestimate the value of items they leave in their cars. We are urging parents to ensure they have adequate insurance to cover these items. With our 'Your Cover' policies you can 'design' your own car insurance, so if you are leaving equipment behind you can make sure the value of the items are covered up to £1,000 if your car is broken into." 

Your Cover Insurance tips to ensure you leave your car safe and secure

• Try not to leave anything on show in your car when leaving your vehicle. A thief may see a coat and think that your car is worth breaking into in case there are valuable items underneath
• If you have a roof box or trailer, and have to leave items inside, ensure that the roof box is  properly closed and locked, and that trailer is covered and secured with padlocks
• The Home Office reports that having security equipment makes your car ten times more safer especially having an electronic immobiliser
• A steering lock is a low cost deterrent as long as you remember to use it every time you leave your vehicle
• Park your car in a well-lit, secure area and if you have a garage it is worth taking the time to put  your car inside as the risk of theft reduces significantly 
     
  

http://www.yourcoverinsurance.co.uk/en/products/car_insurance/hints_and_tips/

Your Cover insurance quotes are available online at http://www.yourcoverinsurance.co.uk.  

SOURCE Allianz Insurance plc