Combating the rise in ATV theft

There were 800 ATV theft claims in 2014
There were 800 ATV theft claims in 2014

With agricultural theft estimated to cost the industry an astounding £1 million per week, it's no surprise that farmers are looking to technology to safeguard their livelihoods.

In a recent study carried out by NFL Mutual, reviewing their 2014 Insurance claims, tools, fuel and ATV machines came out as the most stolen items from British farms, with NFL alone processing over 800 ATV theft claims in 2014, equating to nearly two per day.

While there is good news for other items of farm equipment, with thefts of trailers and larger items dropping, sadly ATV theft is on the increase.

Predicting this trend, renowned automotive technology experts, Road Angel Group, launched an ATV version of it proven tracking system in 2012 , offering farmers, estate managers, local authorities and individual users some peace of mind, but with added productivity and user safety benefits combined too.

Already a leading and proven product in the motorcycle security market, Bike Trac moved on traditional theft tracking technology when it was launched in 2009 by offering customers a product that provided useful interaction with the unit on a daily basis.

With this know-how and the latest technology built into the ATV version, users are not only able to track the whereabouts of their machine night and day via the online web portal, but can also use the unit to view usage on satellite mapping, keep tabs on mileage or use and even know if a machine is involved in a roll-over incident.

Bike Trac's Bill Taylor, commented, "When we launched Bike Trac ATV, theft was a growing issue for farmers, and sadly this hasn't slowed down since. With the vast experience we have on the motorcycle side, we were able to really develop the ATV product, so it offered much more than just peace of mind from theft from the point of launch."

Bike Trac ATV's technology means that as soon as a machine is unlawfully moved, the unit will send the owner a text and email to notify movement, with the system automatically triggering a breadcrumb trail on the online portal for the user and law enforcement authorities to track.

On top of this, the system also keeps tabs on battery voltage, notifying the owner again via text or email if it drops below a certain level, as well as the unique 'Bike Over' function too that notifies a colleague or loved-one if a machine tips over an 80-degree angle with the ignition switched on.