Arval is releasing new advice to fleet operators in the light of reports that theft from vans is rapidly rising.
New figures obtained by the BBC from 45 police forces show that thefts from vans have increased from 14,063 in 2014/15 to 22,749 in 2016/17. A van is broken into every 23 minutes.
Simon Cook,LCV Manager at Arval, said, “This is very much in line with what we are hearing from fleets at the moment. Van crime occurs in cycles and our feeling is that we are very much on an upswing.
“What tends to happen is that thieves devise a new method of breaking into a van, operators adopt ways of preventing it, and there follows a decrease in the crime. Then, new techniques start to appear, and the whole thing happens again.”
Simon said that the newer methods of theft involved using tools to break through the structure of the vehicle and obtaining commercially available transponder keys to open vans.
“Manufacturers are trying to increase payload and one method of this is to reduce the weight of the van by using lighter steel. Unfortunately, this means that it is easier to use tools to cut through the fabric of the van or to bend door frames.
“Manufacturers have done much to reduce the effectiveness of transponder keys newer models. However, they are still affecting some vehicles that currently remain on fleets.”
