Elliott Silverstein
By Elliott Silverstein|

Aug 14, 2024

5 min. read

The numbers are staggering. A vehicle is stolen from a driveway or parking lot, on average, every five minutes across Canada, leaving unsuspecting victims to pick up the pieces after their second-most-valuable possession has disappeared. According to industry estimates, the cost of vehicle theft in 2023 was $1.5 billion, while the impact in Ontario alone exceeded $1 billion. Data underscores the severity of this issue, with a leading source of information being Équité Association. A not-for-profit, Équité is the national authority on insurance crime and fraud prevention, supporting property and casualty (P&C) insurers in Canada. Équité’s data shows that auto theft losses tripled from 2018 to 2022 across the country. Between 2021 and 2023, auto theft increased 48.2 percent in Ontario, 34 percent in Atlantic Canada, 57.9 percent in Quebec and 5.5 percent in Western Canada.

How did we get here? Cars being stolen is not a new phenomenon, but how they are being taken and where they are headed has become far more sophisticated. Gone are the days of stealing cars for joyrides. In its place: a coordinated, international effort for vehicles to be sold at inflated prices in other countries.

  • The convenience we enjoy—cars equipped with push-button starters and keyless entry—have, in some ways, made our vehicles susceptible. Tech-savvy thieves use electronic tools to steal vehicles without damaging windows, locks or steering columns. In many cases, these vehicles are stolen quietly and in under two minutes.
  • Part of the challenge is that the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations in Canada have not been updated since 2007. We’ve experienced a significant evolution in technology over the last two decades, and those devices that have become commonplace (tablets, laptops, Bluetooth, smartphones) are also being used to help gain entry to vehicles.
  • Clearly, vehicles have evolved faster than regulations—meaning those intended to keep our cars safe are now in urgent need of updating to include the latest anti-theft technologies.