Van Security and Safety

Any discerning van driver will tell you that part of owning a commercial van is the responsibility to ensure you take measures to deter thieves as much as possible. That is because vans, by their very nature, attract thieves... in volumes. It may have something to do with an increased likelihood of 'stuff' being left in the van that increases its attraction compared to the average car on the street.

Anything from expensive hand tools and top of the range materials to building supplies can be stored in a van and this makes a van to thieves what honey is to a bee: an offer too tempting to miss. So, for the responsible van driver who is busy trying to make an honest living, leaving their van on an unknown street or in an unknown area just for an hour can bring on palpitations.

On many vans you'll see stickers reading 'No hand tools left in this vehicle overnight' or similar in a bid to deter the more gullible of thieves. Most will ensure that nothing is on display for the thieves to see. Darkened windows help at the back of the van, along with bulkheads at the front which completely block sight into the back help. Of course it goes without saying that locking the van when you are not around is another good deterrent as is parking in well lit areas that are supervised or busy. Thieves don't tend to like an audience when they are busy with their criminal activity.

There are also the increasing security fixtures and fittings that reputable van manufacturers are offering, often as standard, to their new vans and these can include alarm systems, interior scanners, and visible vehicle identification numbers along with passive anti theft systems which disable the engine when your key is not in the ignition.

They have also cleverly considered security issues if you are towing a trailer, which many van drivers do. So, there are further deterrents and alarm systems which can detect if a trailer is being removed unauthorised. As part of the ever heightening security products on offer for vans, there is the added bonus of reduced insurance fees and increased cover for drivers due to the chances of theft decreasing.