The Viasat Group Guide to Security 2022, to be published soon, reports that in Italy – according to the latest not consolidated statistics from the State Police – 2,194 heavy goods vehicles disappeared in 2021 (almost 10% less than the previous year). To these must then be added the 5,628 vans stolen (9% less). Every year, therefore, 7,822 heavy and light transport vehicles are stolen (652 per month, almost 22 per day, practically 1 every hour), which represents a significant economic loss for companies. This figure shows that theft is still a widespread phenomenon in Italy. Lombardy is the region most at risk in Italy, with 1,470 stolen goods transport vehicles. It is followed by Puglia (1,204) and Lazio (1,116). Just below the podium is Campania (1,096).
On the side of recoveries, the news is not good. Overall, only 41% of stolen vehicles are recovered. The recovery of trucks is around 31%, well down on the previous year’s figure of 40%. The data for vans is a little better: over 45 % are recovered. The problem is that even when a truck is recovered, it has already been ‘cleaned out’ of the goods it was transporting, causing serious economic losses to companies.
How can we prevent this? Today, satellite telematics is a fundamental tool for fighting crime. And the Viasat solutions available on the market today, allowing real-time monitoring and traceability of trucks, lorries and vans through a 24-hour Operations Centre, are proof of their benefits, with fewer thefts and a higher percentage of vehicles found (over 80% with the Viasat BluTrack device), compared to national statistics.