Police are advising local residents that auto thefts were on the rise during the month of December in the Nottingham area.

Most of these auto thefts occurred overnight and during the early morning hours as people were leaving for work. The majority of these vehicles were left unlocked, left with keys hidden inside the vehicle, or left running unattended – or “warming up.”

The Baltimore County Police Department is reminding residents to keep their vehicle doors locked at all times, to never store spare keys to any vehicle inside a vehicle, and to always keep garage door openers inside their homes along with vehicle keys to prevent a burglary.

Residents should never leave their vehicles unattended with the motor running or “warming up” on the street or in your driveway.

Experts in the automotive field indicate that modern cars do not actually need to be “warmed up” the way older cars utilizing a carburetor needed to be. Modern cars, most vehicles made after 1995, utilize fuel injection rather than a carburetor, eliminating the need to warm up the vehicle before driving away.

Penzoil’s Technical Advisor, Shanna Simmons, says that it is a myth that engines need to idle on a cold winter day in order to warm up the oil and prevent engine damage.

“While it does take longer for motor oil to pump in extreme cold temperatures, we are talking milliseconds, not minutes,” she said. “Your engine will warm up the oil much faster when driving at full speed – not to mention idling wastes gas.”

So skip the warm-up and save yourself the headache of having your car stolen right from your driveway and having your insurance rates rise.