Auto Theft In Canada

Each year, thousands of cars are stolen across the country. While the overall vehicle theft rate in Canada has decreased 45 percent over to past 10 years, statistics show that one car is stolen every six minutes on average. The cost of auto theft is staggering, topping $1,000,000,000 every year!

Drivers that want to keep their prized possessions away from the danger of theft may have to think twice about where they live and where their vehicles are parked on a regular basis. Keep reading to find out where the areas in Canada with the lowest and highest theft rates are.

Areas With Low Rates Of Vehicle Theft

The province with the lowest rate of car theft is Prince Edward Island, which has a rate of 79 auto thefts per 100,000 population. Prince Edward Island has the distinction of being the province with the least crime overall, and the category of vehicle theft is no different.

Newfoundland and Labrador is also known for low rates of crime, including auto theft.

Residents and those traveling to these provinces should keep in mind that a lower rate of car theft does not mean that there is no danger. Steps should still be taken to lower the risk of becoming the victim of auto theft.

Areas With High Rates Of Vehicle Theft

The province with the highest rate of auto theft is Nunavut, which has a rate of 614 auto thefts per 100,000 population.

Generally, crime rates are higher in the northern part of the country, so it's no surprise that Nunavut has such a problem with auto theft. While Nunavut has the highest rate of auto theft in Canada when compared to rates in other provinces, the city with the highest rate of auto theft is Winnipeg. In fact, the rate of auto theft in Winnipeg is over three times more than the national average!

Commonly Stolen Vehicles

While any vehicle can be stolen, there are certain makes and models that auto thieves tend to favor. In 2011, the five most commonly stolen vehicles in Canada were as follows:

1. Toyota Venza

2. Honda Civic

3. Ford F350

4. Cadillac Escalade

5. Chevrolet TrailBlazer

Does this mean that anyone driving one of these vehicles should panic and trade their car in for a different make and model? Certainly not! Anyone driving one of these commonly stolen vehicles simply has to be more proactive about keeping their vehicle safe. Where a vehicle is regularly parked has a big influence on whether or not it will be stolen, so choose covered parking or safe neighborhoods whenever possible. Additionally, investing in anti-theft devices can drastically reduce the risk of having a vehicle stolen.

The Aftermath

What happens after a person has their vehicle stolen? Statistics show that only three out of every four cars stolen in Canada are recovered and returned to their owners. However, there are some areas of the country where only about half of all stolen vehicles are recovered.

The first step after a vehicle is stolen is contacting the police. For the greatest chance of recovery, the police should be contacted immediately after the vehicle is discovered to be missing. A phone call should then be made to the driver's insurance company. The insurance company will need a copy of the police report, and will probably provide the insured person with a rental car while the police investigation is conducted.

Some people may find their car in another area after it is stolen. In this case, the police strongly advise leaving the vehicle alone and contacting the nearest police department. Since the auto thief may be armed or dangerous, it is important to avoid approaching the vehicle or attempting to recover it without police assistance.

Protecting Yourself

On a list of of countries with the highest rates of vehicle theft, Canada ranks ninth. Since vehicle theft continues to be an issue across the country, it's important that drivers maintain sufficient car insurance coverage. While the aim is obviously to never have to use car theft coverage, the fact of the matter is that auto theft can happen to anyone at any time. To decrease the risk of auto theft and keep auto insurance premiums more reasonable, consumers should consider installing an anti-theft device.

Auto theft is more prevalent in Canada than in most other countries. Even though the rate of auto theft has significantly decreased, it still continues to be a serious problem. Drivers can take steps to protect themselves by being more informed about where they are parking their vehicles, making sure their auto theft coverage through their car insurance policy is sufficient and installing anti-theft devices in their vehicle to discourage car thieves.

As a retired insurance adjuster for 20 years, I enjoy spending time discussing various insurance issues and ways to improve the experience that people have when shopping for insurance quotes. I also follow trends that effect our rates quite closely.

Kanetix recently produced an interesting auto theft infographic which colourfully displays some additional statistics on this interesting topic.

Article Source: Colin_B_Woods