1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184 
No money off for more secure trucks
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Thatcham refreshes its truck security ratings — but insurers don't care. Guy Sheppard reports.
TRUCK MANUFACTURERS are questioning the value of improving the security of their vehicles because there is no corresponding reduction in insurance premiums. Thatcham, the motor insurance research centre, launched a star rating system for truck security a year ago—truck theft is estimated to cost insurers £500m a year (CM 9 October 2003). The system was expected to be a powerful incentive to raise standards but since its launch improvements recorded by Thatcham have been "patchy".
Robin Dickeson, manager of commercial vehicle affairs for the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, says the ratings system is of questionable value to manufacturers and operators alike: "The insurance industry obviously wishes to keep vehicle theft down but they are not, as far as we can see, passing any of the benefits of these cost reductions to their customers and thus, indirectly, to the vehicle manufacturers.
"A number of manufacturers question what Thatcham is doing because they don't see any consequent reduction in premiums" Scania, which came out worst among the leading marques in the security ratings last year,has raised several of its models from one to three stars. Dal the UK's best-selling truck manufacturer, has raised some of its ratings from two to three or four stars.
Daf marketing director Tony Pain says: -People who care about truck security care about it passionately, but it is a surprisingly small percentage of customers. The only people we hear from are the BVRLA [British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association]."
Pain reports that some customers are wary of buying sophisticated alarm systems because they tend to go off without reason.
Mike Briggs,Thatcham's vehicle team leader, says manufacturers have reacted positively to the ratings,which run from one to 10.
"The life-expectancy of these vehicles is a lot longer [than cars] so changes to security will be a gradual process," he adds.