Criminals target idle drivers

Survey highlights risks taken by delivery drivers

Leading fuel card reseller, The Fuelcard Company, is warning delivery drivers to take vehicle crime seriously after a survey reveals that 21% leave their engines running while making deliveries.

The poll of 2,000 commercial drivers, conducted by The Fuelcard Company, demonstrated that a worrying number of them are regularly leaving themselves open to vehicle theft.

Jakes de Kock, Marketing Director at The Fuelcard Company, emphasised that vehicle theft was costing the fleet industry dearly at a time when managers should be more conscious of security to cut costs.

“Far too many drivers are leaving their vehicles unattended when making deliveries which acts as an open invitation for opportunistic criminals.  No matter how short the stop is, drivers should always switch off their engine, take the keys out of the ignition and lock their vehicle behind them as a precaution.  It only takes a moment and is a much lower price to pay than having to replace a stolen vehicle,” said Jakes.

There are simple steps drivers can take to reduce vehicle crime, such as keeping the keys out of sight and not leaving valuables on car seats.

“Commercial drivers are more likely to have valuable items such as satellite navigation systems and mobile phones in their cabs so it is even more important to be vigilant about locking doors and where possible, anything of value should be removed from the vehicle altogether when the driver is not in the cab,” added Jakes.

Note: The Fuelcard Company is the largest commercial fuel card reseller in the United Kingdom, enjoying partnerships with many commercial fuelling networks including:  Shell, Esso, Texaco and Keyfuels.  The company directly serves more than 40,000 business fleets.  In May 2007, The Fuelcard Company was acquired by FleetCor, the largest global fleet card processor.

For further information, visit: www.thefuelcardcompany.co.uk

Published: 04/06/2010