Now that the weather's turned cold, you might be tempted to warm up your car and leave it unattended before you drive to work. But be forewarned that you may end up losing your car or even receive a ticket for a little known law.
In a Hermitage neighborhood, four cars with the keys left inside were stolen in one week. Three of the owners wanted to warm up their cars in the morning, and when they came out their vehicles were gone.
"If someone wants a car, all they have to do is hang out in a certain area. If they stay at a market, someone will come in and leave their car running," said Det. Randy Eatherly, Metro Auto Theft Division.
Metro Police have been busy issuing $20 tickets to motorists who leave their running cars unattended. Police say you would be surprised at how many drivers do not complain about the tickets. The drivers are usually just happy they are able to drive their vehicle away instead of reporting it missing.
Police say they usually don't write tickets if motorists leave their car running in the driveway. However, if the thefts keep occurring, they say they might start issuing those tickets as well.