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A million motorists leave their cars filled up with petrol and with the keys in the ignition every day. The cars aye sitting in petrol stations while drivers pay for their fuel . The Automobile Association (A. A. ) has discovered that cars are left unattended for an average three minutes and sometimes longer as drivers buy drinks, sweets, cigarettes and other consumer items. With payment of credit cards becoming more and more common, it is not unusual for a driver to be out of his car for as long as six minutes. providing the car thief with a golden opportunity.
For more than ten years there has been a bigger rise in car crime than in most other types of crime. An average of more than two cars a minute are broken into or stolen in the UK. Car crime accounts for almost a third of all reported offenses with no signs that the trend is slowing down.
   Although there are highly professional criminals involved in car theft, almost 90% of car theft is committed by the opportunists . Amateur thieves are aided, in most cases, by our own carelessness. The A.A. strongly recommends drivers lock up whenever they leave the car and for however short a period. A partially open sunroof or window is a further come-on to thieves.
There are many other traps to avoid. The A.A. has found little awareness among drivers about safe parking. Most motorists questioned made on efforts to avoid parking in quiet spots—just the places thieves love . The A. A. advises drivers to park in places with people around. Thieves don’t like audiences.