Over 50s expert, Saga Motor Insurance, has 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.

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.”