The Fuelcard Company is warning delivery drivers to take car crime seriously after a survey by the company revealed 21% leave their engines running while making deliveries.

The poll of 2,000 commercial drivers demonstrated that a worrying number of them 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,” he said.

“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.”

There are simple steps drivers can take to reduce crime, such as keeping car keys out of sight and not leaving valuables on car seats.

He added: “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.”