After coming across this story, “Man accidentally locks himself in security van in Gloucester“, in a local paper (and finding it quite amusing) we thought we’d do a bit of research about security vans and the security of vans in general. Google didn’t let us down.
By the way G4S, the owner of the security van in the above incident blamed a “technical fault” for the embarrassment of their employee. He was rescued by Police but the article doesn’t say how. Did they call a locksmith?
It also seems that G4S vans are able to call for help themselves but judging from the reaction of the Police standing next to the van in this video it doesn’t really help!
Staying with G4S vans, a barrister in a trial a few years ago claimed that, “If you were to choose the perfect crime to commit, robbing a G4S van would be bottom of the list!”. You can read more on his argument for this claim here on the GloucestershireLive website. The possibility that the van may call for help during a robbery is not mentioned as one of the deterring factors in this case. We’re not really convinced of his argument, especially after reading the next article we found below…
Yet more amusement at the expense of G4S. This security van driver took, “Show me the money!” a bit to literally when he drives down a busy road with the security door still open. Watch the video as an incredulous driving instructor and his student realise what they are seeing in front of them.
We’d better leave G4S alone now and take a look at some tips for securing your work van and hopefully do a better job than the above example.
Security Tips for your Work Van
In a recent article, “Top 10 van security tips“, Auto Express give some helpful advice including,
- how to cheaply upgrade the security on your van
- invest in the latest security technology.
Electrical training website, “Trade Skills 4U” write, “Specialist insurer ECIC has seen claims for tool theft rise year on year with an average cost per claim now in excess of £5,000.” They urge van owners not to rely on the locks supplied with the vehicle but to upgrade them with more secure options. They also recommend additional locks including Slamlocks where the door automatically locks once closed and Slamplates which add additional protection over locks and deadlocks.
In their article, “Van Security: Preventative Measures” website buyacar.co.uk recomend a few basic principles,
- Use van window blanks to prevent viewing inside the van
- Use an immobilizer
- Fit a GPS tracker
- Use a storage box fitted to the flow of the van
How do you secure your work van?
We’d love to hear from you. Leave your ideas and comments below or on the Facebook Post for this article on our Facebook Page.
Picture By MobiusDaXter – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia
