The rising number of attacks on truck drivers has led Volvo to offer a new security system on its vehicles from this month (June). The system, launched jointly with Securitas, allows the driver to push an alarm button in the cab, which immediately sends a signal to the Securitas call centre, which, in turn, contacts the haulier or local police.
Volvo
says the need for better security is borne out by several surveys on the increasing number of attacks on drivers and vehicles.
One survey carried out for the European Parliament last year found that approximately 200,000 commercial vehicles worth £5.6 billion are stolen every year. Another carried out by the International Road Transport Union (IRU) suggested that one in six drivers have been attacked in the past five years, with one third attacked more than once.
The IRU survey also found that parking in secure truck parks is not an infallible protection: 40% of attacks took place in special parking areas intended for commercial vehicles. Further anti-theft developments are underway, says Volvo. It is now working on systems that will remotely shut down a truck's engine or lock the trailer.
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