Car hire customers warned of winter problems

Car hire customers have been warned that the winter and the tough weather conditions it brings poses a whole new set of problems for them by one expert.

A spokesperson for the British Insurance Brokers' Association (Biba) has said that many motorists are being caught out by leaving their cars unlocked as they de-ice their cars in the morning.

While they perform this activity thieves are slipping into the vehicles and driving off.

What is so particularly worrying about this is that if a car hire customer leaves their car unlocked they may well be invalidating their car insurance, as many policies will have clauses stating that cars should be locked when left unattended in public places.

Graeme Trudgill, technical and corporate affairs executive at the Biba, said: "We are already seeing that it's got a name now called 'frosting' because it is exactly that; people are defrosting their car, they are going back in their house and some opportunist thief can do away with the car.

"We have seen it, it depends on the weather conditions, but it does happen."

He went on to explain in layman's terms why exactly this causes problems for car insurance customers when they then try and claim on their policies.

"Ultimately we have had problems [because] you have got to have taken reasonable care and if you have not then your insurer potentially may not pay the claim. It is very important that you are with your car while that is happening, " he said.

The insurance expert added: "If it [the car] is not in your line of sight and it is just on a public road outside, your house is round the corner and you go back in to pack your bag and when you come back it has gone then you haven't taken reasonable care.

"It's not been in your line of sight, it's not been on your property and it is quite right that your insurance policy will have an exclusion if your keys are left in your car."

Motorists are advised by Biba to give themselves extra time in the morning to be able to cope with preparing their vehicle for icy conditions, by getting up a bit earlier. It stresses that taking reasonable care is important as if a motorist fails to do so their claim may not be paid out.

And if there is any organisation that knows about insurance claims it is Biba. It is the UK's leading general insurance organisation, representing the interests of insurance brokers, intermediaries and customers. Furthermore, it has partner members from the leading companies in the insurance industry, keeping it at the heart of this industry.

Mr Trudgill said that part of the problem many car insurance customers are posed with in the modern world are down to changes in society, which are putting more pressure on their daily routine.

"Everyone's rushed these days," he said, "There isn't enough time in the day so people try to multi-task; get the car up and running and rush back and do other quick things in the house while it is defrosting.

"We have seen claims being rejected so if you don't want to run that risk then just leave a couple of extra minutes to be out there scraping your windows and putting your heaters on."

He also warned that this time of year is more dangerous because the mornings and evenings are darker for longer. This often prompts an increase in car accidents, which in turn leads to a higher level of insurance claims being made.

Biba advises motorists to be especially alert during this period, which may mean getting more sleep and avoiding drinking lots the night before a motorist knows they will be driving the next day.

Mr Trudgill also warned motorists to be vigilant against car theft at petrol stations - another place where car insurance customers are prone to leaving their vehicles unlocked and unattended as they go to pay for their petrol.

He said: "While it is early in the morning when the problem [mostly] occurs ... also, people go to a petrol station, leave the car unlocked with the keys in the car and disappear into the kiosk to pay.

"They have lost the line of sight of their car and someone might run off with it."

The overall message, it seems, is that to avoid being the victim of a crime that won't be covered under their car insurance policy vehicle owners needs to plan ahead more than they would do in summer months and keep their wits about them.

Mr Trudgill concluded: "In this day and age, car crime is a concern. We are in a recession and there are, unfortunately, crimes for people to try and get some money. We are seeing claims like this occur and especially at this time of year because of the dark, cold mornings."