Who Thatcham are

Thatcham Research is the motor insurance industry’s research centre. Among other things it tests vehicle security products and puts the ones that pass into categories, so an insurer can say “fit a Category 2 immobiliser” and know exactly what standard that means. Alarms and immobilisers use numbered categories; trackers use the newer S categories.

Alarms and immobilisers

  • Category 1: a combined alarm and immobiliser. The alarm must have its own power supply, perimeter and interior protection, and the immobiliser must cut at least two circuits. Our Cat 1 product is the Pandora Smart Pro.
  • Category 2: an immobiliser on its own, self-arming, cutting at least two circuits. The Pandora IMMO holds this rating.
  • Category 2-1: an alarm upgrade added to an existing Cat 2 immobiliser, taking the combination up to Cat 1.
  • Categories 3 and 4: mechanical devices such as steering-wheel locks and wheel-locking bolts.

Some very good immobilisers are not Thatcham-categorised at all because they use a different route: the CAN-Phantom CP24 is UN R116 certified, and PIN-based systems like it and the Ghost are usually recognised through TASSA instead. That does not make them less effective; it just matters if your policy names a Thatcham category specifically.

Trackers

  • S5: a stolen-vehicle tracker with driver recognition. It comes with driver ID tags, so the 24/7 control room is alerted if the vehicle moves without an authorised driver present, even if it started normally. Ours is the Meta Trak S5 VTS.
  • S5 Plus: as S5, with remote immobilisation once the police are involved.
  • S7: a stolen-vehicle tracker with 24/7 monitoring and police liaison but no driver recognition. Ours is the Meta Trak S7 ATS.

The old Category 5 and 6 tracker ratings map roughly onto S5 and S7. If a policy still says “Cat 5”, it means S5.

Reading your policy: “Thatcham-approved immobiliser” means Category 2 (or Cat 1, which includes it). “Thatcham-approved alarm” means Category 1. “Thatcham-approved tracker” means S7 or better, and “S5” or “Category 5” means S5 specifically. When in doubt, send us the wording and we will tell you what satisfies it.

What you get from us

Every Thatcham-rated product we fit comes with an installation certificate stating the category, which is what the insurer needs to see. Fitting is done to the manufacturer’s approved method at our Ammanford workshop, and trackers are commissioned with the control room before you leave.