GPS trackers help cycle insurer recover 60% of stolen bikes

Without GPS trackers it's almost impossible to detect bicycle theft, which is why the police give so little priority to this crime. That’s the conclusion of ANWB, The Dutch Touring Club, following two years of providing its cycle insurance policy holders with GPS trackers.

According to the cycle insurer, thieves often put the stolen bikes into storage incase they are equipped with tracking technology. However, this hasn't stopped six out of ten stolen bicycles being recovered over the last two years.

The trackers are attached to the bicycles with an industrial adhesive and intended to be highly visible. According to ANWB, which has has around 60,000 bicycles now equipped with a tracker: "The bicycles are not attractive to the casual thief."

Working closely with a security firm, when the insurer locates a stolen bicycle and the frame number tallies, the bike is seized on the spot and returned to its owner. If the bicycle is on private property, the police are called in.

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The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

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