How would you deal with lost car keys while out and about?

We’ve all done it: been late for an important meeting or hot date and had the horrible moment where we’ve realised we’ve lost car keys.

If you’re at home and you definitely remember bringing them back with you the previous night, this at least usually narrows down the places where they could be. After a few minutes, hours (or even days) of searching, those pesky keys usually turn up, whether it’s in the dog basket or in the children’s toy box.

But what if you lose your keys while you’re out and about. Picture the scene – you’ve got for a long walk in a country park on a sunny summer afternoon, get back to the car and can’t find your keys. Pat-downs of your pockets prove fruitless. They’re definitely not in your bag.

What do you do? Retrace your steps over a number of hours and hope you find them. What if someone’s handed them in? But handed them in to where? The police? Park wardens? The café up the road? Is it worth ringing the manufacturer? A friend or relative for a lift?

Let’s be honest, most of us would panic in this situation and it’s hard to know what we’d do until we’re actually stood there in the pouring rain, waiting for our help to arrive.

One thing that could offer a little reassurance, though, is knowing that you’ve got lost key insurance, one of the many forms of cover that’s proving popular in the UK at the moment.

Never heard of it? It could prove to the best investment of a few quid every month you ever make. It’s pretty simple: take out cover for all of your keys, attach the special fobs and your insurer will cover locksmiths costs and replacements in the event of the worst happening. You’re able to cover both house and car keys and can include as many as you want – as long as you’ve attached the fobs to the originals.

Of course, this type of insurance can’t stop you losing your keys in the first place. Or help you find the originals. No one can stop that happening – we’re all prone to it from time to time. But it can offer the peace of mind that should you be unfortunate to misplace those important little pieces of metal, you’ll be able to replace lost keys without too much fuss or hassle.