What is a Thatcham approved tracker?

In recent years it has become more commonplace for companies who offer vehicle insurance to stipulate that the vehicles that they insure are fitted with vehicle trackers. In particular, many of them are requesting that motorists install accredited Thatcham Trackers on their vehicles if they want to ensure that their insurance policies are validated. 

You might be forgiven for wondering “What is a Thatcham Tracker?” and you would certainly not be alone in this. It’s a question a good number of motorists are asking because the first time they may have heard the name mentioned is when they take out insurance. 

The Thatcham Tracker is a great vehicle tracker with a proven history. It has proved to be incredibly effective, not only in the field of vehicle theft recovery but also in prevention of theft in the first place.

When looking to have a Thatcham Tracker fitted on your vehicle it is important to choose a company who know what they are doing and have a proven track record like Trackershop. This will ensure that your tracker is fitted quickly and accurately in order to offer the best protection to your vehicle. 

You should not try installing a Thatcham tracker yourself, unless you are actually qualified to do so, as doing so may actually invalidate any cover that may be offered by the tracker. A qualified fitter will know exactly how to fit the tracker appropriate to your vehicle. 

Who are Thatcham?

Research carried out by Thatcham has been in the forefront of data used when it comes to vehicle security classifications for many years now. Their trackers are used to allow motorists to look for the best options for the security of their vehicles and their efficacy is such that many of the leading insurance providers actively insist that the trackers motorists fit in their vehicles are Thatcham accredited ones. 

Quite simply they are one of the best companies for vehicle trackers with a high level of reliability against modern techniques of theft. They offer a 24/7 control room service that is linked to the police which means that they can start tracking your vehicle as soon as possible and alert the police. 

Their trackers fall into two different categories, S7 and S5. 

Category 5 trackers

When it comes to vehicle security, and Thatcham in particular, category 5 trackers are the highest classification that there is. This is the category of tracker that is often required by an insurer if you have a vehicle that is particularly high-value or that falls into the category of vehicles that are most often targeted by thieves. 

Category 7 trackers

Trackers that fall into category 7 are referred to as entry-level trackers and these are the most commonly installed classification of tracker. These are the ideal choice when an insurance provider stipulates a Thatcham tracker but does not say which category it must be. 

Both types of trackers work in a similar way. They use real-time GPS location reporting to find the exact location of your vehicle. The control room can use this location information to look on their mapping system to locate your car. The majority of Thatcham Trackers use SIMs that are multi-network ones, and as standard this is typically European wide, in some cases even global.

If you are considering purchasing a new vehicle, particularly one that is high end, there is a good chance that your insurance company will stipulate that you have at least a category 7 Thatcham tracker fitted. This is not a bad thing as it will give you great peace of mind over the security of your vehicle and the cover that they are able to give you.