September 2022

Van protection
MAKING YOUR VAN LESS VULNERABLE
Total Installer speaks to Kerry Fawcett, Digital Director at comparison website iCompario,
who gives her top tips to keep your van safe.
If your van is vital to your work and income,
then the risk of theft or break-in is likely to be
a daily worry.
What’s more, the chance of your van being stolen
can be a lot higher in specific areas of the country.
In fact, a new study that looked at police data, has
revealed that Leicestershire is the UK’s number
one van break-in or theft hotspot, with 10,494
crimes recorded between 2018-2022 (so far). This
was followed by Hertfordshire (9,740 crimes), Avon
and Somerset (6,832) and Surrey (5,145).
What’s also concerning is that on average, just
5% of stolen vehicles are later recovered, so once
it’s gone it’s gone.
The Ford Transit was the most targeted van make
and model, followed by the Mercedes Sprinter and
the Vauxhall Vivaro.
So, with all this in mind, how can you protect
your vehicle from thieves? Well, the commercial
vehicle insurance experts at iCompario have
shared some of their top tips.
Lock your vehicle and put your keys in a
safe place
The simplest tip – but one that many forget to
do after a busy day at work – is to lock your van
before leaving it unattended and give the handle a
try to check it’s secured.
Leaving your keys out of sight and reach will also
deter thieves.
In a recent survey of 1,000 van owners, nearly
half (45%) admitted they fail to lock their van
when it’s not in use.
Key cloning is being used more by criminals
through intercepting signals to unlock vehicles, so
putting your keys away from the door is vital.
Remove tools and equipment overnight
Two thirds of commercial van drivers confessed
they don’t remove their tools and other valuable
items from their vehicle when it’s not being
driven, despite the vital role these items play in
their livelihood.
We recommend that you remove these from your
van and store these somewhere secure overnight
to minimise the risk of theft.
It may even be worth displaying a sign that says,
“no tools stored in this vehicle overnight”, which
can be an added deterrent to would-be thieves.
Don’t leave tech devices on show too, as these
can easily catch the eye of thieves.
Even if they decide not to take these items, an
attempted break-in can still leave your vehicle
damaged and in need of repair.
Park intelligently
Just a quarter (24%) currently ensure they park
their van somewhere ‘secure’, which is always a
good idea.
However, location alone isn’t a flawless deterrent
as a secure compound, a locked garage, and a
driveway are the top places a van is most likely to
be stolen from.
Clever parking can make it difficult to enter your
van though. If possible, try and park your van so
Leicestershire has been named
the UK’s number one spot for
van break-ins and thefts between
2018-2022
Continued on page 78
78 T I SEPTEMBER 2022
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST