Why the Insurance Industry Can’t Keep Pace with Car Thieves

In the ever-evolving battle against vehicle theft, the insurance industry finds itself stuck in outdated standards that don’t address the current challenges posed by modern car thieves. The reliance on Thatcham Research’s vehicle tracking certifications, particularly their fixed standards, has led to a stagnation in theft recovery innovation. While these standards were groundbreaking when introduced, the harsh reality is that vehicle theft techniques have outpaced the current systems used to thwart them. But there is hope for insurers and vehicle owners who are seeking better, more effective tracking solutions. Automatrics MTrack provides an alternative path for insurance approval, offering a far more dynamic approach to vehicle security.

The Current Insurance Industry Standards

Most insurers rely on Thatcham Research’s vehicle tracking certifications to determine which tracking systems they will accept. For many insurers, the Thatcham certification acts as a simple “tick-box” exercise that streamlines the approval process. These insurers generally only allow Thatcham-certified trackers, as it provides them with a predefined set of criteria that is easy to administer. However, insurers with a more serious approach to theft loss may conduct their own examinations, analysing the security performance, product capabilities, and overall recovery features of a tracker system. The key point here is that while Thatcham’s standards serve as an administrative tool, they often fail to account for newer, more robust technologies that offer higher recovery rates and better customer satisfaction. In fact, Automatrics has consistently demonstrated a recovery rate of 95-98% with its MTrack systems, along with a 5-star customer satisfaction rating, enabling these trackers to gain insurance approval through an alternative, more comprehensive recognition mechanism.

The Stagnation of Thatcham’s Standards

As of May 2025, Thatcham’s tracker standards have not evolved significantly in over a decade. Despite a rising tide of vehicle thefts and repeated calls from industry experts and stakeholders for updated standards, Thatcham’s response has been largely administrative, with very little technical innovation. In 2018, Thatcham’s security department underwent a restructuring by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), which partially funds and manages Thatcham Research. Unfortunately, instead of considering the growing need for innovative tracker standards to tackle modern theft challenges, Thatcham decided to reduce its focus on security and reallocate resources elsewhere. The result? The original CAT 5, 6, and 7 tracker standards were merged into two new, administrative standards: the S5 and S7. This shift was more about easing administrative burdens than addressing the evolving needs of vehicle security.

One of the more significant changes during this transition was the removal of the inhibit crank immobilisation feature in CAT 5 trackers. This feature, which was intended to remotely immobilise a vehicle to prevent theft, has raised serious safety concerns, as the ability to safely stop a car from moving or a stationary vehicle without putting people at risk remains unaddressed by current standards. The S5 standard, which emerged from this merger, lacks crucial features that would allow for effective vehicle recovery in all situations, especially when a GPS signal is unavailable.

Why Automatrics MTrack Does Not Certify to Thatcham S5

Automatrics deliberately avoids certifying its MTrack systems to the outdated Thatcham S5 standard for several reasons:

1. GPS-Only Limitations: The S5 standard is limited to GPS-only tracking, meaning that it can’t recover stolen vehicles in environments where GPS signals are blocked, such as inside shipping containers, underground car parks, or when GPS jammers are used.
2. Lack of Recovery Success Metrics: The Thatcham S5 standard does not consider the actual recovery performance of tracking systems. Once a system passes the test, it is not re-evaluated, regardless of whether the system performs poorly in real-world recovery situations.
3. No Innovation: The S5 standard has remained virtually unchanged for over 10 years, failing to keep up with the increasing sophistication of vehicle theft. Despite discussions within Thatcham about updating the standards, nothing has materialised.
4. Security Weaknesses: The S5 standard’s rigidity makes it easy for thieves to circumvent, as all devices within the standard operate in the same way. This predictability makes them vulnerable to attack.
5. Under-Resourced Security: After significant staff cuts within Thatcham’s security department in 2018, the organisation now struggles with under-resourcing, making it difficult to develop new, effective security standards.
6. Safety Concerns of Detectable Transmissions : Thatcham’s S5 standard stipulates constant regular GPS updates, meaning continued GPS update transmissions even when a stolen vehicle is stationary, allowing thieves to easily sniff, locate and disable trackers.

Why Automatrics MTrack Is the Smart Alternative

Unlike the rigid and outdated S5 standard, Automatrics MTrack systems are built for modern-day recovery, offering comprehensive theft protection with advanced technology that goes beyond GPS. Here’s why:

1. Multi-Layered Theft Recovery: The MTrack system employs advanced cellular ID and UHF radio location technology to recover stolen vehicles, even without a GPS signal. This ensures that vehicles can still be tracked in challenging environments.
2. Proven Performance: With over 16 years of experience in the industry, Automatrics boasts a 95-98% recovery success rate, depending on the vehicle type. Our systems are trusted by both customers and insurers for their reliability and effectiveness.
3. Real-World Application: MTrack provides 24/7 professional monitoring and a dedicated theft recovery service, with investigators dispatched immediately to locate stolen vehicles, even without police assistance in some cases.
4. Advanced Tracking Technologies: With the added benefit of UHF radio and RF direction-finding capabilities, MTrack trackers can recover vehicles when traditional GPS tracking would fail. The use of UHF radio has proven especially effective in environments where GPS jammers are in play.
5. Police-Preferred Certification: Our systems hold Police CPI Secured by Design Certification, aligning with police-preferred specifications and speeding up recovery efforts.
6. Stellar Customer Satisfaction: Automatrics has earned 5-star customer reviews, demonstrating our commitment to providing excellent service and recovery outcomes.

Conclusion:Embrace Innovation for the Future

While Thatcham’s standards may have provided a solid foundation for vehicle tracking, the reality is that they no longer meet the evolving needs of vehicle owners and insurers in the face of modern-day theft techniques. Automatrics MTrack offers a flexible, reliable, and future-ready solution that insurers can confidently approve, even without Thatcham certification. With a proven track record of high recovery rates, advanced technology, and a commitment to customer satisfaction, Automatrics is leading the way in stolen vehicle recovery. For insurers looking to offer the best protection to their clients, choosing MTrack is the smart, modern choice.