Reduce the risk of being a victim of van crime

Posted: 21/02/13

There’s no denying that criminals target vans because they expect valuable cargo to be inside. As a van hirer there are precautions you can take to reduce the risk of being a victim of van crime.

The unfortunate reality is that where ever you live in the UK if you own or hire a van you may be at risk of becoming a victim of van crime, with criminals targeting vans specifically for tools & valuables. Last year saw around 280,000 tool theft crimes across the UK. With the average value of tools left in tradespeople’s vans costing £2,880. Doncaster was revealed to be a particular hotspot in South Yorkshire for vehicle-related crime in 2018 with a rise of 13%.

There will always be criminals out there looking to benefit from others misfortunes but there are precautions that a van owner or hirer can take to reduce the risk of being a victim of van theft. Exchange Hire Services Ltd have supported many van hirers locally in Doncaster and throughout the rest of the UK, so with this in mind we’re able to offer these top tips:

Have you locked your van?

This may sound offensively obvious but bare with us – taking the time to double check that you’ve locked your van properly could be the difference between being covered by your van insurance or not. Whether you’re hiring a van privately or if it’s part of a business’s fleet – a non-payment from the insurance after a van related crime could be catastrophic.

You could have picked up some bad habits that you’re completely oblivious to:

Arriving at a job and leaving your van visibly open and unattended whilst unloading? Leaving your vehicle running while you make a quick delivery? Leaving your vehicle running whilst you de-ice the windows? Habits like these can expose you to van thieves and leave you in a lot of trouble.

Double lock for extra security

Many newer vans are fitted with a double lock or deadlocking system – these essentially disable the internal handles so if a criminal smashes a window they still can’t open the door from the inside. To ensure this is activated you usually have to press the lock button twice. This doesn’t ensure total security but it will make getting to what is in the van a longer process.

Remove the risk

As tempting as it is to not make more work for yourself by leaving things in the van rather than carry them out and put them back in again – always make sure you remove expensive items from the van. This is how thieves who target vans get lucky – as owners and hirers get complacent! Many insurance companies have limits on the maximum amount they will pay out per item in the event of a theft – so you may be covered for a lot less than you think. Don’t risk it, remove it!

Consider your surroundings

You should give some consideration to where you are leaving your van parked. Ask your self these questions and if it doesn’t comply – possibly think of a safer place to leave it:

  • Does the area have many people passing by?
  • If your alarm went off would anybody hear it?
  • Is the area well lit?
  • Is there any CCTV you can park under?
  • Have you heard of any recent vehicle crime in that location?

Exchange Van Hire Services in Doncaster strive to provide the best customer service possible to ensure the hire of your vehicle runs as smoothly as it can do. Our site is manned 24 hours a day and customers can leave their cars here knowing that it’s safe and secure.

For van hire in Doncaster: use our online enquiry form or call us on 01302 340000 to book your vehicle today.