Never Leave Your Vehicle Running Unattended

A running vehicle with keys in the ignition and no occupant is one of the easiest targets a car thief will ever encounter — the work of entry, starting, and escape has already been done for them. In April 2026, a taxi driver in Chaguanas stepped away from his white Nissan Tiida with the engine running and keys in the ignition to seek passengers. Within seconds, a man entered the vehicle and drove off. The vehicle was later recovered, but the loss of a $35,000 TTD asset — even temporarily — represents a serious financial and operational risk. This pattern recurs most often when drivers stop briefly and treat a short absence as too inconsequential to warrant turning off the engine. Brief and inconsequential are how this crime is made possible.

Steps to follow:

• Turn off the engine and remove the keys every time you leave the vehicle, even for a stop of under one minute — there is no safe duration for an unattended running car.
• If you are a taxi or hire car driver seeking passengers, step out of the vehicle only after securing it; do not use the running engine as a convenience during the search.
• Do not assume proximity protects you — thieves operate in seconds and will act while you are a few steps away or briefly occupied talking to someone.
• Keep your spare key separate from your primary key; if the vehicle is taken with one set, the spare should not be accessible at the same location.
• If your vehicle is taken, do not give chase on foot; note the direction of travel and call 999 immediately — recovery is more likely through police interception than personal pursuit.