Stingers Aim to Curtail Rising Petrol Theft

With fuel costs soaring, petrol stations across the UK in recent months have been experiencing a rise in incidents of drivers pulling off forecourts without paying. “Drive-aways” are said to have cost the industry in excess of £11 million in 2006 (according to The Petrol Retailers’ Association), though that figure is likely to have risen recently, as a result of the higher prices.

To combat this, petrol station owners have installed “stingers” – retractable spikes designed to shred the tyres of drive-aways. However, run-flat rubber, with its stiff sidewalls, can counteract the effectiveness of this preventative measure. With this in mind, Birmingham’s Drivestop has developed a system that implants a microchip into tyres running over the stinger, allowing police to track thieves whose tyres are shred resistant.

Jaginder Singh Mudhar, the device’s inventor, has so far installed ten systems around the country and is experiencing a rising rate of interest from other businesses. Having experienced the serious effects of drive-aways on his father’s petrol station, Singh Mudhar understands the device’s marketing potential, and is looking to exploit the technology’s marketability.

One business-owner already persuaded to install the device, Mukesh Patel of Finsbury Park, London, has cited the combination of losing over £5,000 to theft in the last year and police inaction in responding to CCTV evidence as the prime reasons behind his adoption of the £10,000 system.

The device is activated by cashiers after sensors located at the pumps set off warnings that a drive-away is taking place. Meanwhile, flashing lights and loudspeaker announcements warn other motorists not to drive over the stingers, which spring up from the forecourt’s floor across potential exits. After the tyre is punctured by the metal spikes, a data pod is inserted into the rubber, containing the details of where the drive-away took place.