Your van is important to you so you want to do everything you can to keep it secure. It’s good to know that there are things you can do to improve the security of your vehicle and help reduce the risk.
Improving your van’s security.
Improving your van’s security is your main priority particularly if you run a business and rely on it. We recommend that you use Thatcham-approved parts.
The most common ways to secure your vehicle are:-
- Alarms & immobilisers
- Trackers
- Alarms
- Modern vehicle alarms can detect attempts to break your van's window, force the doors, or try the ignition. It will have a siren powered by its own battery supply. An alarm is an excellent deterrent to van thieves.
Trackers.
- Vehicle tracking systems use GPS to locate stolen vehicles. Recovering your van is cheaper than replacing it, so using such a system may reduce your premium.
Other security measures.
- There are other, less obvious, measures that you can take to improve the security of your van.
Overnight parking.
- Where you keep your van overnight is something underwriters consider when assessing your policy. That’s because most vehicle theft happens at night, in residential areas. Consider keeping your van in a garage.
Remove and secure contents.
- Reduce the incentives to steal your van by removing the most expensive items from it when you are not using it. It can be a bit of hassle, but it may make the crucial difference in a thief’s decision to take your vehicle.
Additional locks.
- Just like the front door on your house, it’s going to be harder for thieves to get through two locks than just one. Make sure that your new locks are Thatcham-approved and installed by a professional.
Catalytic converter protection.
- The catalytic converter on vans are easier to access than they are on cars due to the ground clearance. They’re valuable too so remove the incentive for thieves to take yours by installing a catalytic converter lock.
Key fob jamming.
- The signal your key fob sends to your vehicle can be jammed by tech-savvy thieves near your van. It may take a bit of premeditation on their part, but it’s not unheard of. Check the doors are locked each time you use the fob to lock the van, that way you can be sure it’s secure.
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