One in five tradespeople have had tools stolen from their vans during the last year, according to new research by Direct Line business insurance.
But the research also reveals that one in seven leave their tools in vans every night, and others do so on average ten nights a month.
Alison Traboulsi, Product Manager at Direct Line business insurance, said: “The frequency of tool theft is a growing concern, with recent research showing that tools were stolen every 15 minutes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2022. Our latest data reveals vehicles remain the primary target, with nearly two-thirds of all tools stolen from this location. Because of this, it’s important to consider tool security when getting insurance.”
Vehicles are the most frequent location where tools are stolen accounting for over half of thefts, with thieves breaking into vans parked directly outside the homes of tradespeople. Vehicles are targeted while parked in the street, on the tradesperson’s own drive, on site, in a garage or car park.
Tradespeople are taking measures to help secure their tools and deal with consequences of tool theft, with many installing additional security (28 per cent). Other steps include becoming a member of social media groups where other tradespeople post about stolen goods (27 per cent), keeping insurance up-to-date (21 per cent) bringing tools indoors to a securely locked building (20 per cent), keeping up-to-date information such as photos, serial numbers and identifying marks (18 per cent), engraving or using invisible ink to mark tools (16 percent) and using tracking devices (15 per cent).
