Theft statistics show that car theft in North America has been reducing over recent years although it is still relatively high compared to other Western countries.
The reduction is mainly due to the increased level of electronic immobiliser fitment to new cars since the late 1990’s and the vehicles now at highest risk of theft are older models without immobilisers.
Illustration of car theft rates by market (2007 data)
Canada has been actively introducing measures to deal with reducing casual theft (joyriding) over the last ten years. The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) represents the private insurers nationally and has been successful in persuading many vehicle manufacturers to fit immobilisers on a voluntary basis since the late 1990’s. More significantly, in September 2007 Canada introduced legislation mandating the fitment of immobilisers on all new cars.
The same is not true for the USA, where they have introduced legislation allowing the deletion of steering locks (if an electronic immobiliser is fitted) and passed a senate bill in California that requires manufacturers to give up key code information.
SBD believe that these factors, together with the severe downturn in the economy and the increasing levels of unemployment that follow are likely to lead to an increase in car theft in the coming years.