DRIVERS who leave empty
cars running to warm them up on frosty winter
mornings could be left out in the cold if thieves
strike, insurers warn.
Nick-named ‘puffers’ in the States, unattended cars
with smoke billowing from their exhausts can be a
calling card to thieves at this time of year.
Meanwhile, Irish motorists who don't have the luxury
of heated car seats and ultra-quick defoggers for
work or the school run are losing millions on wasted
fuel each year as vehicles idle empty on the
driveway.
Liberty Insurance says drivers who leave engines
running while their cars are unattended will not be
covered for theft or damage.
"We will not cover loss or damage arising from theft
or attempted theft if the vehicle is left unlocked
or if the ignition key is left in or near your
vehicle while it is unattended," said a
spokesperson.
"There isn't really a significant difference between
parking on a kerbside and in your own driveway from
an insurance perspective. Although, in theory, the
risk of theft is greater on the kerbside, that may
depend on where you live."
Drivers in some parts of Britain and the US face
on-the-spot fines for 'stationary idling' while many
Scandinavians invest in plug-in car heaters to avoid
the practice.
Research estimates that enough fuel to travel one
mile is wasted for every two minutes of engine
idling whether you’re warming up the car or stuck in
traffic.
Meanwhile, companies that operate Ireland and
Britain's 4.5 million commercial vehicles see
billions go up in smoke each year due to engine
idling.
Figures from Fleetmatics Group supplied to Fleetnews,
show that reducing idling time on commercial
vehicles could save Irish and UK bosses a whopping
€4 billion euro a year in lost fuel.
The group said 860,000 commercial lorries, trucks
and cars (almost a quarter) here and in Britain are
now operating under fleet management solutions with
savings of 1.7 million litres of fuel daily.
Fleetmatics Europe marketing director, Richard
Brooks, said: “While some idling of commercial
vehicles is unavoidable, I think the research does
highlight a massive problem for businesses in the UK
and Ireland.
"Our customers are all SMEs and even small
percentage points of profit on the bottom line
matter.” |
