Theft of Tools Increases By 57%, Says Quotezone

Van drivers have been warned to take extra security measures after research showed that cases of tool theft from vehicles increased by 57% last year.

Research by van insurance comparison experts Quotezone.co.uk, analysing a sample of 100,000 van insurance policies, showed only 10% of vans in the UK are locked in a garage overnight – raising concerns over van safety and the need for some additional measures to improve van security and deter thieves.

The most common motive behind van thefts is stealing expensive tools which attract thieves because of their high resale value. According to Metropolitan Police data, there were a whopping 13,677 cases of tool theft from vehicles reported in the last year, March 2021 – March 2022, equating to 37 cases each day.

Greg Wilson, Founder and CEO of Quotezone.co.uk said: “With tool thefts on the rise, you can never be too careful when it comes to securing your van and its contents especially when it has the potential to affect your livelihood.

“Even if your vehicle comes with basic security systems and factory-fitted immobilisers and alarms, they may not cut it as modern thieves have been known to evade them with key fob cloning and blocking.

“That’s why it’s important to take some precautionary steps to keep the thieves away, even simple things like not leaving valuables in plain sight or in the van overnight, parking in a well-lit location and not drawing attention to the fact there may be tools inside the vehicle with external branding and logos.  Adding decals and signage to a van, can increase your insurance premium for that very reason.