Bike Security – tips to keep bikes safe
Delivered by Cycling UK, the national cycling charity which has been looking after cyclists since 1878, the annual celebration to showcase cycling, Bike Week, is taking place from 6th to 14th June 2020.
Whereas COVID-19 has restricted lives in many ways, cycling has increased considerably, with people getting back on bikes for the first time in years and with the Government recommending alternative ways to travel to work, such as cycling, to relieve the pressure on public transport as the country begins to come out of lockdown, even more people will be buying bikes.
However, there are around 300,000 bikes stolen across the UK each year, with 60% of all bike thefts occurring when the owner hasn’t secured their bike, either forgetting to or thinking that it was safe. Around 70% of these thefts took place during the week and 30% took place during the weekend.
While large quantities of believed to be stolen bikes are recovered each year, the police are often unable to return them or prosecute offenders as the owners of the bikes cannot be traced.
Secured by Design, the official police security initiative, have put together tips to help owners keep their bikes safe and secure, at work, at home or when travelling for holidays or leisure purposes.
The leaflet and dedicated webpage - https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/crime-prevention-advice/bike-security - includes tips around registering bikes on appropriate databases, security marking and the type of locks which should be used to deter opportunistic thieves, as well as listing SBD member companies who have bike security products which have achieved Police Preferred Specification standard.
Secured by Design (SBD) work closely with standards and certification bodies to ensure that their publicly available standards actually meet the needs of the police and public alike and is the only way for companies to obtain police recognition for security-related products in the UK.
Products must be subject to rigorous testing and additionally be fully certificated by an independent, third-party certification body accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) before being allowed to carry the SBD logo. Third-party certification ensures products not only meet stringent security standards, but continue to be manufactured to a consistent quality through regular audit checks.