A poll, conducted by leading fuel card reseller The Fuelcard Company, quizzed 2000 drivers for Car Crime Awareness Week (17-23 May) and demonstrated that a worrying number of commercial drivers are regularly leaving themselves open to vehicle theft.

Car crime accounts for 13% of all recorded crime in England and Wales, with nearly 1.5 million vehicle related thefts being recorded in 2007-2008, most of which were opportunistic and preventable.

Jakes de Kock, marketing director at The Fuelcard Company, said vehicle theft was costing the fleet industry dearly at a time when managers should be more conscious of security to cut costs.

'Far too many drivers are leaving their vehicles unattended when making deliveries which acts as an open invitation for opportunistic criminals. No matter how short the stop is, drivers should always switch off their engine, take the keys out of the ignition and lock their vehicle behind them as a precaution. It only takes a moment and is a much lower price to pay than having to replace a stolen vehicle.

'Commercial drivers are more likely to have valuable items such as satellite navigation systems and mobile phones in their cabs so it is even more important to be vigilant about locking doors and where possible, anything of value should be removed from the vehicle altogether when the driver is not in the cab,' added Mr de Kock.