Often, vehicle theft occurs due to opportunists spotting a ‘vulnerable vehicle’. Avoid leaving items such as wallets, mobile phones and luggage on display. If your vehicle has a portable navigation device, remove it from the windscreen and make sure to wipe away the suction marks left by the mount. If you tend to hide items under the seat or glove compartment, chances are someone could have seen you, try to take items with you where possible or place them in the boot of the vehicle before making your journey.
Recent data from Co-op Insurance revealed that nine of the ten hotspots for car crime in the UK are located in the capital, including the exclusive borough of Kensington and Chelsea. With this, it’s important you choose your parking space smartly. Search for areas that are well lit with high footfall. Even opportunists won’t take the risk for a small reward if they believe they are being watched.
This may seem obvious, but always ensure both doors and windows are locked. It doesn’t matter if you’re popping to the shop or parked outside your own home, its a simple prevention method that could go a long way. If your vehicle has a sunroof, ensure this is closed too, and if your drive a convertible, close the soft-top.
Technology plays a vital role in keeping your pride and joy safe. The use of vehicle trackers has fast become the most successful way of monitoring and securing your vehicle or fleet. Simplytrak can pinpoint your vehicle to the exact location, whilst in a remote location and have quickly become one the market leaders in automotive security with our excellent solutions and features. Our vehicle tracking system comes with standard features that enable you to drive down costs and improve efficiency. We also offer immobilisation features and cameras to increase vehicle and driver security.
Vehicle theft using the keys will negate your insurance. Simplytrak’s new SimplySecure system aims to prevent fleet drivers from ever leaving the keys in the ignition, even during quick drops. Whenever the driver’s door is opened with the keys still in the ignition, the horn will sound, hazard lights will flash and the vehicle is instantly immobilised. The vehicle cannot be stolen. To mobilise the vehicle again, the driver must contact head office who are able to re-mobilise the vehicle remotely.
SimplySecure Uses TurnKey Technology To:
Contact us today to learn more about protecting your vehicle!
Airports are busy transport hubs. Take Doncaster Sheffield airport, one of our clients. Almost 1.5m passengers are set to fly this year alone. Thousands of vehicles operate landside and airside. Amongst the hustle and bustle, safety, security and efficiency are top priorities for airport operators. Simplytrak has developed a bespoke tracking and surveillance system – AIM – which is designed to mitigate runway incursion.
When an airplane lands, refuelers, interserve teams, and the swissport teams are moving on the airfield to carry out their jobs. Vehicles have to cross the runway – the area designated for landing and taking-off of aircraft. The UK Civil Aviation Authority has identified “runway incursion” as one of its priorities for safety action.
AIM’s unique geofencing solution was designed with airport runway requirements in mind. The airside incursion mitigation system has the ability to set up zones at any location on the airfield. By using these geo-fences, the system warns management if an airside vehicle is in or near a sensitive or restricted area. It also immediately warns the driver if there is the potential for a runway incursion. They must stop and contact air traffic control.
‘Communication’ is often cited as a contributing factor to incursion incidents. AIM’s system uses a GPS tracking system in conjunction with a GPS-enabled on-board micro-computer that keeps recording and alerting the driver when a zone-breech occurs– even if signal reception fails.
‘Human error’ also leads to accidents on the runway. Simplytrak’s AIM system provides an easy-to-use, accessible software and hardware to minimise the human factor element.
Airports don’t just have traffic on the airfield. Buses transport passengers and other items landside. Applying on-board vehicle surveillance in the form of cameras can provide visual record of how incidents happen.
Reviewing the camera footage to see why there have been delays or damage to the vehicles can identify problem areas. Data recorded by AIM and the cameras is digitally stored. This provides hugely valuable information to airports from a compliance perspective as well.
The list of compliance checks for airports is long. Simplytrak’s AIM system and all tracking and camera solutions provide an easy-to-use digital software that both drivers and management have access to. All data is stored digitally and immediately available to analyse. Ready for the next compliance check.
Some airports already use telematics to encourage improved driver behaviour and accountability. They present results in league tables highlighting the best and worst performing organisations. Adding a competitive element to the use of telematics has proven to be of great success in the transport sector as well.
Given airport’s specific requirements for safety, security and efficiency, Simplytrak is uniquely positioned to provide solutions.
To find out how our bespoke solutions can help you or to request a demo, get in touch with me.
Using custom maps and high accuracy zoning created specifically for Exeter Airport, the management team can monitor all AIM-equipped vehicles on a screen and can receive alerts when vehicles are speeding, braking harshly or about to enter incursion boundaries.
A low visibility procedure (LVP) mode can be activated during adverse weather conditions at the click of a mouse, ensuring stricter safety operations can be performed and new wider incursion boundaries are used.
A runway incursion is defined as “any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle or person on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft”. AIM is designed to reduce these instances and increase airfield safety.
Runway incursions can occur whenever there is a breakdown in communications or situational awareness at an airport. They can be caused by pilots, air traffic controllers, vehicle operators, or people working on an airfield, regardless of their level of training or experience.
The AIM system provides airports with a full suite of alerts, alarms and reports that highlights potentially dangerous activities. It also verifies compliance checks and provides the CAA inspectors with full visual playback along with a download of the airside fleet inspection and maintenance activity.
Our CEO Andrew Johnson said: “We’re delighted that Exeter Airport (who are part of the Regional & City Airports Group) have decided go ahead with a full installation of the AIM system following a successful trial. Runway incursions can lead to serious accidents so it’s great to see airports taking steps to reduce the likelihood of such incidents occurring.”
Exeter Airport started their trial in July 2018 and are planning to install the AIM system in across their airside vehicle fleet.
During the trial, we worked with the airport to customise the user interface for the airports particular requirements and the demonstration offered to the management team enabled them to amend their own airside geofence zones to suit their needs.
Exeter Airport has joined Doncaster Sheffield and Durham Tees Valley as the latest UK airport to adopt the AIM system. It’s also currently in advanced trials at Cork and East Midlands airports.