If you’re serious about securing your car, motorbike, motorhome or van, then having a tracker installed is a given. If you’re just as serious about vehicle tracking, then ensuring it’s Thatcham-approved, is the next logical step.
Sounds obvious, but what does it mean? Why does being Thatcham-approved matter? Who are Thatcham anyway? And what difference do their categorisations make to the security of your vehicle? Let’s find out.
Thatcham Research started in the late 1960s as the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre with the aim to contain (or reduce) the cost of motor insurance claims whilst maintaining safety standards.
Over the last 50 years, they have become a world leader in vehicle safety, security and repair. Today they are still funded by the insurance industry and work with vehicle manufacturers, regulators and law enforcement to continually improve safety standards of not just the cars themselves, but also the products created to help secure those vehicles, including car trackers.
Whilst Thatcham, as an organisation, has been around since 1969, it’s only since the 1990s that vehicle security has been a key component of what they do. This is when they first introduced the New Vehicle Security Assessment.
These were designed to combat the rise in vehicle crime of the time and led to the categorisations for Thatcham-approved devices, which has since become an industry benchmark.
Thatcham certification now provides consumers, and the industry at large, reassurance that the products available have been tested and meet the highest independent standards of functionality, design and performance. This covers everything from alarms, immobilisers and, of course, car trackers.
As we’ve just touched upon, buying a car security system that has been ‘Thatcham-approved or insurance-approved’ means you’re going to get a device that has been well tested and functions as expected, but what does that mean to you as a consumer?
The fact that our devices are Thatcham-approved means that you get some incredible benefits;
Not exactly. A Thatcham Approved Tracker is a device tested and certified by Thatcham Research, an independent UK body that sets high standards for vehicle security. These trackers are categorized (such as S5 or S7) based on features like driver recognition or theft alerts.
An Insurance Approved Tracker, on the other hand, is one that your insurer specifically accepts for coverage or premium discounts. In most cases, insurers only approve Thatcham-certified trackers, but requirements may vary depending on the insurer and your vehicle.
Getting an insurance approved tracker fitted is a simple process:
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