JUNE 2020 | 41
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
Motoring
Cause for alarm: More
than 30 vans stolen
every day but fourin-10
still don’t come
fitted with an alarm
Four-in-10 of all new
vans on sale do not come
with an alarm as standard,
according to an exclusive
investigation by What
Car? Vans (https://www.
whatcar.com/class/vans).
The findings follow
research highlighting
how more than 43,000
vans have been stolen
since 2016, with a further
117,000 broken into, costing
drivers and businesses
more than £61.9 million
in lost tools and other
items**.
Analysis of all new vans
on sale today by What
Car? Vans (https://www.
whatcar.com/class/vans)
found just 58% of models
come with a factory fitted
alarm as standard*. Another
36.5% were found to
offer a factory fitted alarm
as an optional extra, while
5.5% of vans on sale today
are not available with an
alarm at all – though these
tend to be older model
iterations soon to be
replaced.
The lack of alarm technology
helps explain the
high number of van thefts
in the UK. Between 2016
and 2019, 43,909 vans
were stolen across the UK,
according to exclusive figures
sourced by What Car?
From across the country’s
45 police forces**. This
equates to more than 30
vans a day.
SIX WAYS TO PROTECT
YOUR PAINTWORK
The worst area for van
thefts was London, with
14,263 vans stolen in the
four year period, while
44,742 were broken into
by thieves. Across all police
forces, van thefts rose by
8.21% between 2017 and
2018.
* What Car? Vans analysed
the specification of
every single van derivative
currently on sale in the
UK, including their trim
variations.
** What Car? Vans issued
a Freedom of Information
Request to all 45 police
forces in the UK, asking
them to report the number
of vans stolen since 2016,
the number of thefts from
vans, and the value of
items stolen from vans.
WHAT CAR?
VANS LAUNCH
BRINGS EXPERT
REVIEWS, TIPS
AND ADVICE
TO THE UK’S
FOUR MILLION
VAN DRIVERS
What Car? will bring its
industry-leading new vehicle
reviews, consumer advice
and buying tips to the UK’s
four million light commercial
vehicle and pick-up drivers
with the launch of its new
What Car? Vans website;
Motorists have been offered six tips on the
best ways to protect vehicle paintwork from corrosion
and fading; and looking its best when you attend a
quote or job.
Tim Alcock from LeaseVan.co.uk said: “For the vast
majority of us, washing and polishing our cars is a real
chore – yet it’s important to do in order to keep paintwork
fresh and bright – and ‘free advertising’ for your
brand and business.”
1. Remove dirt and marks
as soon as you can
The longer they’re left on your vehicle, the greater
the damage/corrosion can become. A specialised insect
remover will stop insects from sticking to the vehicle’s
paintwork, so they can simply be wiped away.
2. Remove tar and sap using a clay bar
When you run this over paint, often with water or a
special lubricant, it harmlessly lifts away nasty deposits
from the paint. It’s a surprisingly easy job, and will leave
the surface feeling mirror-smooth.
3.Wash regularly
Use a high-quality, purpose designed solution (not dish
soap) and apply it with a foam sponge. Then, rub down
with a fine-grad car wash mitt and rinse thoroughly and
dry with a microfibre towel.
4. Polish regularly
Car polish contains micro-fine abrasives which gently
clean the paint surface without damaging it, whilst simultaneously
preserving the freshened paint and protects it
against the weather.
5. Apply paint sealant
Mix bonding agent 4:1 with the sealant and use around
twice a year. Apply the mixture in a circular motion on
one section at a time. When it changes the texture, rub
with a towel in the same circular motion.
6. Touch up any chips
A franchised car dealer will be able to sell you a special
touch-up paint kit which perfectly matches your car
or van’s colour. By sealing in the metalwork that’s been
exposed by stone chips, you’ll prevent corrosion.
The UK’s van sector
has grown from just over
two million vehicles in
1994 to more than four
million vans on the road
last year – with owners
and drivers surging as
a result of the boom
in online retail, a rise in
self-employment and
the ‘gig-economy’.
Steve Huntingford,
editor of What Car?,
said: “While the UK’s
new car registrations
have dipped, van registrations
keep providing
positive news for manufacturers.
What Car?
is already known for its
car reviewing expertise
and consumer advice,
and as sales surged so
we had more van and
pick-up buyers asking
us to apply those same
levels of insight to help
them. We’re delighted
to be able to do so, and
excited for the future
of this new section of
our website.”
What Car? Vans is
being launched in partnership
with Volkswagen
Commercial Vehicles.
Sarah Cox, Head of
Marketing at Volkswagen
Commercial Vehicles,
said: “Everything
we do at Volkswagen
Commercial Vehicles is
aligned to our ‘Working
With You’ brand promise,
and this new platform
is the perfect place for
van buyers to find sound
advice and compare vehicles.
Owners of SMEs
work hard and face
numerous challenges,
but choosing their
next van shouldn’t be
difficult. By working in
partnership with What
Car? Vans we’re aiming
to make the process a
little easier.”
www.whatcar.com/
class/vans