Truck makers say insurers should play fair

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says truck makers want the insurance industry to play a responsible and realistic part in improving truck security. Presently the industry fails to give any discounts to encourage truck makers or operators to fit anti-theft devices. Neither the SMMT nor its members know of any truck insurance outfit that offers incentives for its customers to fit anti-theft kit.

For several years the insurance industry-funded Thatcham centre has tried to set anti-theft standards for trucks that are out of step with the rest of Europe and needlessly expensive for manufacturers to meet. The centre also charges those truck makers big fees to test their systems against its own standards.

‘All this would be more or less acceptable if insurance companies gave discounts on insurance premiums for trucks that meet their own security standards,’ said Robin Dickeson, manager, commercial vehicle affairs for the SMMT. ‘But they don’t; they fail to deliver and Thatcham hides behind comments that insurance rates are a complex issue best left to individual insurance firms - this looks like a cop out. Sadly the industry perception of Thatcham is that it is irrelevant, avaricious and arrogant.’

The SMMT says it has repeatedly asked Thatcham to have insurers to show some flexibility and has still seen had no concrete results. ‘We’re very close to running out of patience here,’ said Dickeson. ‘I do hope we’ll see a meaningful eleventh-hour change of heart. The alternative will be to recommend that our members ignore Thatcham and its expensive and seemingly superfluous test programmes and standards. We hope it won’t come to that but the ball is firmly in the insurance industry’s court. They need to play it and play it fair.’