Why Mainers are Vulnerable to Warm-Up Theft and How to Avoid It

It's something most of us do every day, without thinking about how it leaves us open to a very expensive form of theft.

Okay, people don't do it every day. Mostly, people only do it in the winter, when the weather gets colder and they want a warm vehicle for their commute. So they run outside and start the vehicle, turn up the heater/defroster, and then run back inside to fill the travel mug or make a quick stop in the bathroom before heading to work. Everyone does it, even in parking lots outside their work before making the trip home.

Get our free mobile app

But AAA New England cautions that automobile thieves will look for that white exhaust smoke as a signal that a vehicle is ripe for the picking. It only takes a few seconds for them to jump behind the wheel, throw the vehicle in gear, and take off. And then your day has gone from a warm trip in the car to a long day on the phone with the police and your insurance company. They call it 'warm-up theft.'