Ways You Can Protect Your Car Amid High Auto Theft

A man locks his car using a key fob, in a file photo. (Shutterstock/Melnikov Dmitriy)

Car thefts have been increasing over the past few years, according to the Government of Canada.

In early February, stakeholders from across the country were invited to a meeting in Ottawa to discuss ways to curb the number of car thefts.

Car thefts increased by 50 percent in Quebec, 48.3 percent in Ontario, 34.5 percent in Atlantic Canada, and 18.35 percent in Alberta in 2022, a government press release said at the time.

Toronto saw a 300 percent increase in the number of vehicles stolen since 2015, the release said, adding that 9,600 cars were stolen in 2022.

In Canada, a vehicle is stolen every five minutes, a report by Équité Association said.

“Canadians are feeling vulnerable and the majority of us are especially concerned about personal safety and the safety of our communities,” said Terri O'Brien, president and CEO of Équité Association. “Criminals are becoming more brazen and are increasingly resorting to violence as witnessed by the significant increase in carjackings and owner-interrupted thefts.”

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As the risk to Canadian drivers increases, here are some ways that you can protect your vehicle from becoming a statistic.

• Lock your doors and windows
• Do not leave your keys in the vehicle
• Avoid remote car starters
• Don’t leave the vehicle running if no one is inside
• Park in an area that is well-lit
• Get an anti-theft device
• Install tracking system
• Remove contents that would attract thieves like money, identification, technology
• Use an immobilizer, which is a device that can prevent the vehicle from being hot-wired or allow thieves to start the ignition without the correct key

For newer vehicles with keyless entry and ignition, additional precautions are needed to prevent thieves from accessing the wireless signal from a key fob. Storing the fob in a metallic case or bag can deter thieves, according to Halton Police Service.

They also recommend keeping vital information about the vehicle in a safe place. This includes recording the year, make, model, and colour of the car, the license plate and vehicle identification numbers, serial numbers of any special equipment, and any marks, dents, or scratches that could distinguish the vehicle from others.

“Drop a business card down the panel doors to assist police with identifying the vehicle’s registered owner,” the police website says.

The federal government recently made a commitment of $121 million to tackle vehicle theft in Ontario, something Mr. O’Brien said was a “perfect example” of coordinated efforts.

“Over the past few weeks, there has been some real momentum in the fight against auto theft; a result of an unprecedented level of collaboration between the insurance industry, law enforcement, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), all levels of government, and Équité Association,” he said.