Cheap car insurance providers are refusing to pay out in a record number of theft cases, as cars left unattended on frosty mornings become the favoured target of opportunist criminals.
Young driver car insurance customers are among the most likely to return indoors for a forgotten item, or simply to escape the cold, while their car 'warms up' on the driveway with open doors and keys in the ignition.
Now swiftcover.com has confirmed that almost half of us (47%) would leave a car unlocked and idling while going back inside - even though 80% knew this would invalidate car insurance cover if the vehicle was stolen.
As a result, over 2,000 unattended cars are driven away by thieves each winter, adding up to an annual loss of £12.7 million.
"Leaving a car with keys in the ignition provides a perfect opportunity for thieves, and we as motorists are especially likely to do this at this time of year," said swiftcover.com claims director, Robin Reames.
"People have an 'it won't happen to me' attitude and think that it's fine to quickly nip into the house. However in reality, it can and does happen anywhere in the UK."
Technological advancements mean that most modern cars can be warmed-up in a fraction of the time it takes to ready an older model for winter driving.
Unfortunately for the owners of older vehicles - and all cheap car insurance holders - the only sensible thing to do is sit in the car and wait.