Car Safes, Auto Safes, Vehicle Safes, Protect Your Laptops and Valuables from Theft

Car safes and vehicle safes are now becoming a necessity, with some manufacturers considering fitting them to their new cars. Theft from vehicles is the most common crime in the UK, yet the police success rate in solving these crimes has fallen to zero in some parts of Britain. It has even been suggested by some experts on policing, that officers in many cities are spending so much time on trying to meet government targets (yet alone catching speeding motorists - my comment), that these type of offences are no longer being effectively pursued, or in some cases pursued at all.

With today's more mobile, customer focused workforce carrying a range of expensive and in many cases, easily disposable equipment in their vehicles, they have become a goldmine for the thieves. Laptops, mobile phones, cameras, video equipment, guns, credit cards, money, jewellery, drugs etc., etc. have all become easy theft targets for the villains. Car safes and auto safes are available to protect all of the above and large specialised vehicle safes and tool safes are available for bulkier items.

The same growth in theft of mobile devices is seen in other countries as well, with the USA experiencing 600,000 laptops thefts last year, a 53% increase over the year 2000.

Theft of laptops and other valuable items from vehicles, is an increasingly serious problem, with laptop theft reaching 100,000 in the UK last year

Thieves only spend a few seconds smashing and grabbing their way to your valuables, most of which will never be recovered. Placing goods in the boot out of sight does not deter these thieves who often target the typical employee vehicle - car or van. They often smash vehicle windows to grab what they want, not bothering about alarms, as they are in and out so quickly. In some cases they pierce door skins to enable them to then unlock the vehicles without setting off the alarms. Once access has been gained it is simple to open boots or gain access to them by folding seats or removing parcel shelves. Damage to the cars is often considerable, apart from the loss of valuables. When confronted with securely fitted car safes most of these villains will flee and look elsewhere.

It has been estimated that the value of lost and stolen laptops has been underestimated by as much as 1500%, when the true cumulative costs are taken into account.

Costs of laptop theft or loss

1) The replacement cost of the laptop itself and any peripheral items (which will hopefully be covered by your insurers, providing you are insured and that you have adhered to their requirements). Are you covered?

2) Loss of valuable data, some of which may be irreplaceable if not backed up.

3) The non-productive time it will take you or others to replace the laptop and install and configure all the programs, information and data that has been lost

4) The operational efficiency of you and or others will often be severely reduced until the replacement laptop is operational. This could take several weeks, it will certainly take several days.

5) Most laptops will also contain much confidential information relating to your company, your customers and perhaps your private information. Imagine how valuable this information could be to your competitors or other unscrupulous people and how costly the loss. The loss of customer information could also cause breaches of the 'Data Protection Act' for which you could be liable. What damage could this do to your company image and or your own?

6) Your insurance premiums will also almost definitely increase.

Installing Car safes, Auto safes and Vehicle safes

Car safes are available in a range of sizes to suit your needs, most are constructed in heavy gauge steel with some aluminium alternatives and are fitted with strong locking mechanisms.

There are various options available for installing vehicle safes: some are bolted into position through floors or bulkheads, some are held in position with a quick release clamp which is bolted through the floor and others (mostly car safes) are held in position with steel ropes. Most modern vehicles are equipped with factory installed luggage loops in the boot or load bay area which are used for tying, strapping down heavy items. These loops provide ideal fixings for securing the car safes and vehicle safes via the steel ropes.

Alternatively the steel ropes can be fitted round spare wheel brackets, seat brackets and other structural components.

Using the steel rope method of attachment makes it easy to transfer the auto safe from one vehicle to another without having to remove bolts and plug holes. The vehicle safes can then also be unlocked and relocated in the office and home - other areas that suffer from laptop theft.

Additional information and hundreds more tips on how to protect your family, are now available in our new security and safety book 'How to Protect your Family and Belongings Now'


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