Honda has partnered with security specialist Datatool to tackle the rising issue of rural crime. The industry-first campaign will see all new Honda ATV and Pioneer utility machines purchased after 1 November 2018 fitted with state-of-the-art tracking equipment free-of-charge.

Customers will have the option of adding on Datatool’s TQA-approved TrakKING Adventure package, which uses GPS chip set technology to offer theft protection, instant notifications and full journey history logging. The only cost to the customer is a nominal monitoring subscription of £9.95 per month or £109 for a year (incl VAT).

A key safety feature in the Datatool package is the ‘G Sense’ impact alert notifications, which use a highly-sensitive 3D accelerometer to detect rollovers or high g-force impacts and alert an emergency contact via SMS – ideal for those working by themselves in remote locations.  The system also includes location-based alerts, which automatically send a notification when the vehicle leaves a specified area.

To celebrate the partnership, Honda is offering Pioneer customers a half-cab for just £999 (excluding VAT) outright – a saving of up to £880 – until the end of March 2019. Comprising a hard roof, glass windshield, hard rear panel and windshield wiper/washer kit, the option adds additional comfort and usability to Honda’s versatile utility vehicle.

Andrew Parr, sales operations department manager at Honda (UK), said: “According to insight from NFU Mutual, the cost of rural crime has increased by 13.4% since 2016 alone – costing the UK some £44.5 million every year.* The problems faced by rural communities are growing, meaning more needs to be done to improve crime prevention measures.

“We take security incredibly seriously and wanted to highlight the positive role manufacturers can play in tackling rural crime. Our partnership with Datatool is the latest in a long line of initiatives to lead the way in all-terrain security.

“This, along with the incredible half-cab offer on Pioneer, means there really is no better time to purchase a Honda ATV or utility model.”

Accredited as a ‘Secured by Design’ product by the Police Service, TrakKING meets the highest security standards and has been specifically developed to deter theft, provide around-the-clock location visibility and aid recovery. Typically retailing at £349 (including installation), the system sets the standards in state-of-the-art 24/7/365 monitoring.

Dave Plummer, Datatool brand manager at Scorpion Automotive, added: “Fitting a tracking device to your all-terrain vehicle significantly increases the chances of recovery after theft and is also looked upon highly favourably by leading insurance companies. We’re proud to partner with Honda in the roll-out such an important initiative to help combat rural crime nationwide.”