Research shows that motorists are giving more thought to hiding laptops than keeping their car keys out of sight.
According to a survey by Vauxhall and Bedfordshire Police, nearly all of the 3,000 adults questioned said they had not considered hiding their keys out of the view of thieves, despite the huge number of cars stolen while parked outside homes.
A majority of people said it was important to protect television sets or jewellery, even though evidence from last year shows that thieves targeted homes to steal cars rather than household items.
Of the drivers questioned for the poll, many said they left their keys by the front door, easily accessible to criminals, or on show in the kitchen
Chief inspector James Goldsmith of Bedfordshire Police said: "Despite a 10% reduction in burglaries across Bedfordshire during 2008, this survey confirms our own and national findings that many residents fail to take the basic steps of keeping their car keys out of sight and easy reach."
In response to the findings the two groups are launching a campaign to highlight the importance of keeping car keys safe to protect vehicles, which are often "the second biggest expenditure for a household".
