Whether it’s the car itself or the valuables within it, your car is as much a target for thieves as it ever was. According to the Office for National Statistics, there were almost 358,000 reported instances of thefts from or of a motor vehicle in 2014, with at least 30,000 going uninvestigated.

Most vehicle crime is preventable. It can take as little as 10 seconds for a thief to steal something from your car.

If you use a van for work, one of your biggest concerns is likely to be theft, or of someone breaking in to steal goods or equipment. The humble van is the lifeblood of many small businesses, providing essential transport for workers and tools, products and equipment. In fact, it is this rich range of uses that make vans such a common target for thieves.

“But my vehicle has an alarm and an immobiliser,” you say. “That’s me covered.” Well, no. It’s true that modern security systems are great deterrents, but there’s much more you can do to keep your car safer than just pressing the button on your car’s remote and walking away.

So how do you go about protecting your vehicle, to keep the contents safe and your insurance premiums down? Here are our top tips:

1. Upgrade the security of your van with additional measures
• Deadlocks: the simplest extra security measure is to add extra locks. Deadlocks are a popular choice, with a solid steel bolt that secures the door or hatch to a reinforced socket in the frame of the vehicle. These need to be operated manually, using a key, but are among the safest solutions you can buy.
• Slamlocks: an alternative to the deadlock is the slamlock, which engages automatically when the door or hatch is closed, much like a Yale lock on a front door. These are not as strong, but have the advantage that you do not need to remember to lock them.
• Window security: having secured your doors, the next thing to consider is your windows. These can be either blanked out or covered with a grille to prevent thieves from gaining access by smashing the glass. Bespoke parts are available for most popular van makes.
• Van alarms: these can also be fitted to protect your vehicle, deter thieves and limit the length of time they have to steal from your van before they are disturbed.
• Trackers: these can help to locate your vehicle following a theft, but chances are your tools and other contents will be long gone before the vehicle is found.

2. Park your van wisely
Try to park in a well-lit busy area when possible. Thieves will be deterred if they feel there is a higher chance of them being seen or exposed.

3. Remove temptation entirely and empty your van at night
Of course it may take a little extra time at the end of the day to remove your tools from your van but it’s not half as much hassle as trying to replace them all should they get stolen.