Be careful with your keys

Over 50s experts, Saga Motor Insurance, have today sounded a warning to the nation's drivers after their research revealed that one in ten car owners still keep their car keys on a key rack visible from outside the house, making them an open target for thieves.

Be careful with your keysBe careful with your keys
Saga cautions drivers to hide their car keys when in the house

  • One in ten car owners leave their key on visible display in the house
  • 37% keep their spare car key 'hidden' in the house.


Saga's study on attitudes towards key security shows that the most common place to keep car keys is in a handbag or briefcase (15%), although a diligent 13% keep their car keys on a key rack well away from prying eyes, with the over 50s slightly more security conscious (19%) than their younger counterparts (13%).

Strangely, a much higher proportion of people make a more conscious security effort with their spare car keys with 37% ensuring they are hidden away from prying eyes!

When it comes to spare house keys, the days of leaving them under the doormat are thankfully long gone - almost one in three respondents (29%) said they leave a spare house key with a friend or relative, and a further 19% keep them locked away inside the house.

Worryingly though, the study shows a lack of understanding over their levels of insurance cover, with two in three people admitting to not knowing whether theft of keys would be covered under their home insurance.

Andrew Goodsell, Chief Executive of SAGA said; “It might not be the first thing on your mind when you come home, but drivers should get into the habit of putting their keys somewhere out of sight, leaving them on display makes them an easy target for the opportunistic thief.

Related

  • The cost of replacing your car keys

    The cost of replacing your car keys

    There was a time, when if you lost your car keys, it wasn’t exactly a huge problem. You could always call upon a locksmith’s skills to get you back behind the wheel and your engine started. Lose your car keys now and you could lose quite a lot more than you bargained for...

    Read on

  • Things you might find in a glove compartment

    The top ten things you might find in a glove compartment

    Since the motorcar first trundled onto our roads in the late 1800’s, design and technology has transformed both the way cars look and perform. But oddly enough, one early functional element has remained – and you’ll find it in every car on the road, from an economy hatchback to an executive saloon.

    Read on

  • Green driving techniques

    Green driving techniques

    Cars are the second largest cause of global warming. Yet, as much as we would all like to help lessen the environmental effects of driving, for many of us life without a car simply isn’t practical. But, if you do have to drive (and let’s face it, almost all of us do), there are many ways to make that trip to town or drive to work more environmentally friendly.

    Read on

Car Insurance

Over 50s save up to 15% online

  • £1,000 personal belongings cover
  • Unlimited audio/visual cover
  • Cover in the European Union for an unlimited period

Breakdown cover

Our cover for over 50s includes:

  • Choice of five cover levels
  • European wide rescue and recovery service
  • 24 hours a day, 365 days a year service.

Caravan Insurance

Comprehensive cover for the over 50s includes:

  • Up to 10% online discount
  • A choice of cover levels
  • Up to 12 years 'New for old' cover.