Car Crime

A millionmotorists leave their cars filled up with petrol and with the keys in theignition every day.The cars are sitting in petrol stations while drivers payfor their fuel.The

AutomobileAssoci-ation(AA)has discovered that cars are left unattended for an averagethree minutes and some-times longer as drivers buy drinks,sweets,cigarettes and

other consumeritems.With payment of credit cards becoming more and more common,it is notunusual for a driver to be out of his car for as long as six minutes,providing

the car theft with agolden opportunity.

2. For more than tenyears there has been a big rise in car crime than in most other types of crimes.An average of more than two cars a minute are broken into or stolen in the

UK.Car crimeaccounts for almost a third of all reported offenses with no signs that thetrend is slowing down.

3. Although thereare highly professional criminals involved in car theft,almost 90 percent ofcar theft is committed by the opportunists.Amateur thieves are aided by our own

carelessness.The AArecommends locking up whenever you leave the car and for however short aperiod.A partially open sunroof or window is a further come-on to thieves.

4. There are manyother traps to avoid.The AA has found little awareness among drivers about safeparking. Most motorists questioned made no efforts to avoid parking in

quiet spots-ust theplaces thieves' love.The AA advises drives to park in places with peoplearound-thieves don't like audiences.Most car theftsshould be blamed on______.

A.the carelessnessof the drivers

B. increase in thenumber of cars stolen

C. non-professionalthieves

D. lack of parkingspace

E. safe parkingspots