Study: Many UK Vans Don't Even Have Standard Alarms

There are four out of ten new vans on sale in the U.K. that are not fitted with a standard alarms in their vehicle. This report by What Car? Vans came after a research showed how more than 43,000 vans have been stolen since 2016. And with the cars stolen, around 117,000 were broken into, costing more than 61.9 British Pounds (80.83 USD) in lost items and damages for drivers and businesses.

The report also showed that there were only around 58 percent of models that were fitted with an alarm system  in their basic package. Around 36.5 percent came with "optional" alarms -- which means they will only be included by request. Meanwhile, only around 6 percent of vans came without any alarm at all.

Perhaps it's this lack of basic security system that's causing the surge of van thefts in the U.K. Almost 45,000 vans were stolen in the country from 2016 to 2019--or more than 30 vans daily.

Interestingly, the study also revealed that the remote central locking--another key security feature--is more popular in these vehicles. Around 90 percent of newer vans on sale have it as a basic feature already.  Another well-represented security feature is the deadlock, which is found in 80 percent of the vehicles. This locking mechanism doesn't have a spring in its components, making it more difficult for thieves to  break into compared with the standard deadlock.

Interestingly, the most number of car van thefts seemed to occur in London, which averaged around 14,000 stolen vans and 45,000 car break-ins within four years alone. Van thefts also increased in number between 2017 and 2018, and this trend continued even in the first half of 2019. The police reported more than 8,200 stolen vans in the first six months of last year alone.

According to What Car? Vans editorial director Jim Holder, more than four million drivers use vans for work or business transactions in the U.K. And with almost 50,000 vehicles stolen since 2016, it's disconcerting how these alarm systems seem to fall short in many of these vehicles

He was concerned how some of the other more "advanced" security features were already found in the the newer vans, while the inclusion of a simple alarm has been neglected by the car manufacturers.

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