LATEST STORIES:
A car is stolen every 5 minutes in Canada — is yours one?
A new study says a car is stolen every five minutes in Canada, but some makes and models are preyed upon more than others — is yours one?
Équité Association, a not-for-profit that works on reducing insurance fraud, recently released its report on auto theft trends in 2023, and the findings are staggering.
According to the organization, there were 30,134 auto thefts in Ontario in 2023.
READ MORE: Halton cop dragged by vehicle during botched car theft
The figure marks an upward trend from last year’s high of 28,131 — or an increase of 7.1 per cent.
Another dismal metric Équité found Ontario to be near the top of is the rate at which stolen vehicles are recovered.
Only 44 per cent of stolen vehicles in Ontario are ever seen again. It’s a figure that suggests most cars that go missing are being shipped overseas or being re-VINed.
Quebec ranked first, with a low recovery rate of 37 per cent.
In Atlantic Canada, they managed to achieve a much higher recovery rate of 67 per cent — albeit the majority of which are found only after they’ve been torched, a tactic thieves use to eliminate physical evidence left behind from their crimes.
And Western Canada, which makes up Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia came in with the highest rate of 77 per cent.
Overall, Western Canada saw a decrease in its year-over-year car theft rate, with approximately 2,000 fewer cars having been stolen in 2023 when compared to 2022.
Still, the report says that Alberta sees more theft per capita than Ontario.
“Alberta experiences 252 stolen vehicles per 100,000 people, while Ontario experiences 202 and Quebec sees 169 vehicle thefts per 100,000 people, respectively.”
Which cars are most likely to be stolen?
The most stolen car in Canada continues to be the Honda CR-V. Équité says that in 2022, the popular compact SUV went missing 5,620 times.
After that, the second most sought-after vehicle by car thieves was the Dodge RAM 1500.
In third place was the Ford F150, Lexus RX Series came fourth and in the number five spot was the Toyota Highlander.
And, for the first time ever, the association released its list of the top 10 least stolen vehicles for 2022.
When it comes to preventing auto theft, the best approach is a layered one.
It’s important not to overlook the simple things like locking your doors and keeping your windows rolled up, Équité says, but installing visible anti-theft devices or a vehicle immobilizer can also do wonders to prevent it from happening to you.
The prominence of car theft across the country has spurred the federal government to take action in several ways.
In February, Canada held its first-ever national car theft summit just days after it announced it would be investing $121 million to help combat gun, gang and auto crime in Ontario.
“People in Canada need to know that their governments, border security and law enforcement agencies are working together and using every tool available to combat this crime and keep our communities safe,” Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Arif Virani said earlier this year.
READ MORE:
