Protected No Claims Bonus

With car alarms/security systems becoming more and more sophisticated it's time to start thinking about what's actually in your car that would appeal to thieves.

If your car is broken into and you need to claim off your car insurance, it could mean that you lose your no claims bonus. Noboody needs the hassle of making a claim on their car insurance, but there are a number of ways to help yourself against the thieves.

1. Try not to leave valuables in your car if you can avoid it. If you must leave them, PUT THEM IN THE BOOT!! Many car thieves are opportunists, if you give them the chance then they'll more than likely take it.

2. If you've got a removable stereo, remove it. There's no point complaining your stereo was stolen if you left it all there for the taking. This also includes hiding the face in the glove box by the way, it's the first place a thief looks.

3. If you must leave money in the car, leave it hidden in a tray or recess that isn't visiable from the outside. Some thieves will quite happily break into your car for just £3, it's enough for a packet of cigarettes and it's not like they'll be paying to have your window replaced.

4. Never leave your car unlocked, even if you're just popping in for a minute to grab a book you forgot. Remember, thieves will take any opportunity you give them. An unattended, unlocked car is extremely tempting.

5. NEVER, EVER leave your car unattended and running. Most likely you've done it a hundred times, but you'd feel pretty silly if your car was stolen with the keys in the ignition. There's also a possiblity that your insurance company would refuse to pay out if you didn't take reasonable precautions to protect your property.

Protected No Claims Bonus is also another option that should help when making a claim against your car insurance. Basically it allows a person to have a certain number of claims in a set period of time without losing their no claims bonus. It usually adds a little extra to your car insurance premium but is well worth having.

These aren't difficult things to do, but it would make a thieves life much much harder.