As temperatures dip across the country, with Met Eireann warning us of sharp frost with icy stretches and lowest temperatures of -3 degrees, many people will be waking up to a frozen, icy car.

To save time and prevent window screens breaking, many of us will quickly start our cars, turn the heat on full blast for five minutes as we prepare to leave the house but this could be a very costly decision.

Gardai are advising people against this approach as it makes life very easy for ‘opportunist thieves’ who are watching, to steal your vehicle.

According to AA Roadwatch “Once you put the key in the ignition, stay by your car at all times. Car thieves love an icy morning and every winter cars are stolen while their owners go inside for warmth waiting for their car to defrost. It’s actually an offence to leave your car unattended with the engine running. You’ve been warned.”

It is also against the law to leave a vehicle unattended, Under road traffic laws in Ireland, it says "unattended with the engine running on any public road, even in the instance that the public road adjoins a person’s property or driveway". So car owners could be hit by fines of €1,000 to €2,000 or even three months in prison if they are found to have left their vehicles unattended with the engines running.

Section 102 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, states:

(a) in the case of a first offence, to a fine of up to € 1,000,

(b) in the case of a second offence (or of a third or subsequent such offence other than an offence referred to in the next paragraph) to a fine of up to € 2,000, and

(c) in the case of a third or subsequent offence in any period of twelve consecutive months—to a fine of up to € 2,000 or, at the discretion of the court, to up to three months imprisonment or to both a fine and imprisonment.

So be vigilant and stay safe.