...villains and insurers
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Despite the fact that the crime rate is rising, vehicles are more expensive each year — almost each quarter — and cargoes are more valuable than ever before, there is still a great reluctance on the part of operators to fit security devices.
Robert Dunley, md of Simba Vehicle Security Systems, tells me that although CV fitments account for two-thirds of his company's business, relatively few vehicles are secured.
"It's only after they're hit that operators get down to thinking about security seriously," he told me.
"The price must put them off," I suggested.
-They don't know the price, each one is different,he countered.
"Well then, they're guessing,said I,
"Then they're guessing wrong," said Bob.
We began to do some quick sums. Assume a system costs about £500 to install, assume the vehicle does 500,000 miles in a five-year life, then the cost of securing the vehicle would be one-tenth of one penny per mile. Or looked at in another way, if the cargo has a value of £50,000 per week,it costs.004 of a penny per £1.00 value of cargo to secure it.
One factor we could not take into our calculations was the insurance premium reduction.
"They do give a discount," said Bob.
"How much?"
"They won't say."
"Perhaps if they did there would be a rush to fit systems."
"Perhaps, but I doubt it; as I say, they come to us when they've been hit."
Even as you read this, somewhere in the country there are vehicles being burgled, vandalised or stolen, yet all of this could have been prevented. It doesn't make sense.