FORD TRANSIT
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Ask pub quiz contestants what the most stolen vehicle in the UK is and not many will get the correct answer: the Ford Transit. Given that Ford has a enviable reputation as being one of the most proactive manufacturers of anti-theft measures and even has a whole department at its R&D centre dedicated to staying one-step ahead of thieves, that might seem strange. The answer, says Simon Hurr, Ford's vehicle security application specialist, lies in sheer numbers. "Cars change model names, but the Transit has been around since 1968. Over the years, a lot have been stolen."
Hurr believes anti-theft measures should start at the design stage. "The van must not only be secure, but appear to be secure. So standard items on Transit and Transit Connect vehicles include a key-operated bonnet lock, shielded steering wheel lock, and probably the most robust door assembly system on any van. The lockable bonnet protects components in the engine compartment from being stolen. The Thatcham-approved immobiliser is also shielded from attack."
What can you do to help yourself? Hurr's biggest tip is not to leave the keys with the vehicle. "You'd be astonished how many people do that, often because they are worried about losing the keys — on a building site, for example.
"If you gave them £20,000 in cash, they wouldn't be so careless with it, so why risk losing the van and with it, in many cases, your livelihood?"