Differences between S5 and S7 GPS trackers, Thatcham categories explained

UK vehicle tracking systems are assessed by Thatcham Research and assigned categories that indicate their capability level. S5 and S7 are two of the most commonly referenced categories in the UK insurance market. Understanding what each category covers, how they differ, and what neither category addresses, specifically relay attack prevention, helps UK vehicle owners make informed security decisions.

Thatcham S5 category trackers

Thatcham S5 is a category for vehicle tracking systems that provide GPS tracking with a 24-hour monitoring centre subscription, police liaison for stolen vehicle recovery, and typically remote immobilisation capability via a signal from the monitoring centre. S5 systems do not include driver recognition as a standard requirement.

S5 trackers are widely accepted by UK insurers as a condition of cover or as a basis for premium reduction on moderately high-risk vehicles. They provide meaningful recovery capability when a vehicle is stolen and reported. Recovery rates for S5-tracked vehicles are higher than for untracked vehicles, though not as high as for higher-category systems with driver recognition.

Thatcham S7 category trackers

Thatcham S7 is a higher category that adds driver recognition to the S5 capability set. An S7-tracked vehicle requires the driver to confirm their identity via a personal tag before driving. If the vehicle moves without valid driver identification, the monitoring centre is immediately alerted. This reduces the response time compared to S5 systems where theft is detected through movement pattern analysis rather than driver identification absence.

S7 is the category required by many UK specialist insurers for Land Rover, Range Rover, BMW, and other high-risk vehicle models in elevated-risk postcode areas. S7 certification commands the highest insurance recognition and premium discount among GPS-only tracking categories.

What S5 and S7 cannot do

Both S5 and S7 trackers are recovery systems. They detect theft after it has started and initiate recovery procedures. Neither category includes a physical relay break that prevents engine start. A relay attack on an S5 or S7 tracked vehicle will succeed in starting and moving the vehicle. The tracking system then begins its recovery response.

LockCar’s hardwired relay immobiliser addresses the gap that no tracking category covers: preventing the vehicle from starting in the first place. For maximum protection, an S7 tracker providing monitoring centre support and police liaison should be combined with a LockCar relay immobiliser that stops relay attacks before the S7 alert system is ever needed.

LockCar recommended products

Top recommendation

LockCar One Plus, £259

4G GPS prevention and recovery, relay immobiliser

LockCar provides the prevention layer that S5 and S7 trackers cannot. Hardwired relay immobiliser stops relay attacks. 4G GPS addresses recovery. Both functions from one device.

LockCar IC3ST, £139

Relay immobiliser to complement S5 or S7 tracker

Adds the prevention layer that S5 and S7 trackers cannot provide. Encrypted proximity tag, independent of tracking system and factory keyless entry.