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May 20, 2005
Keep your car as yours
There are several steps you can take to prevent theft.
SHARON MELNICER
I have the dubious privilege of living in one of the car-theft
capitals of Canada. More than 10,000 Manitobans were hit last year,
when auto theft soared to a new high. Manitoba Public Insurance
(MPI) recently provided the astounding statistics – in 2004,
13,245 vehicles were stolen in Winnipeg alone.
That's a jump of 31 per cent from the year prior and virtually double
the number recorded a decade ago. And the numbers apply only to
those stolen vehicles reported to MPI – so the actual number
is even greater. Apparently, this trend applies to many other Canadian
cities, Vancouver being one of them (close to 5,000 cars are stolen
a year in the city – with similar numbers for Surrey; in Richmond,
only 700 vehicles a year go missing).
Winnipeg police are alarmed by the number of robberies. They report
that 80 per cent of vehicle thefts occur in Winnipeg because there
is a greater selection of vehicles to choose from in the city. Police
are frustrated that many drivers are simply not getting the message
– because auto theft is one of the most preventable crimes
out there. Anti-theft devices are easily obtained and are relatively
inexpensive.
On average, one-and-a-half vehicles are stolen every hour in Winnipeg,
usually by teenagers between the ages of 12-17. Joyriding seems
to be the chief reason and most adolescent car thieves have begun
their "careers" by the time they're 13. Unthinking drivers
make it very easy for the potential thief by doing things like leaving
their unattended vehicles running, hiding their keys somewhere inside
the vehicle, parking in unlit, out-of-the-way areas and forgetting
to lock car doors and to roll up windows. It also seems that car
thieves have their favorite targets. You might want to look at buying
something other than a Dodge Caravan, a Chrysler Intrepid or a Plymouth
Voyageur if you live in Manitoba.
Police say you can fight back, that you can be pro-active in preventing
your car from being stolen. Here are some of the things you can
do:
• Make some distinguishable mark with a permanent felt marker
or a scratching tool on your vehicle's hubcaps, stereo, CD or cassette
player and other accessories.
• Park your vehicle inside a garage, if you have one.
• Take your garage remote and registration papers inside with
you when you leave your car.
• Use some kind of anti-theft device like an alarm system that
goes off when the hood or trunk is popped or a door is opened.
• Lock an armor collar or metal shield to the steering column
so the ignition can't be tampered with.
• Use a lock that prevents the steering wheel from being cut
and the bar being removed.
• For a less visible defence, have an engine immobilizer installed.
The immobilizer works by triggering a hidden "kill-switch,"
which serves to cut the power to the starter.
• Finally, tell your neighbors if you're going to be away because,
as the Canadian Auto Association says, "an extra set of eyes
is always a good defence."
A few years ago, Winnipeg police launched an auto-theft program
called Computer Auto Theft, or CAT. They realized that most vehicles
were taken between 1 and 5 a.m. The program involves issuing a decal
to drivers, which is then placed in a prominent place on the vehicle.
The presence of the decal is a signal to Winnipeg police that the
operator of that vehicle is not an early morning driver. If police
spot that vehicle on the road between one and five, they pull it
over to check the driver's licence and registration. Forty-five
thousand Manitobans are now members of CAT and it's estimated to
be 40 times less likely that a vehicle will be stolen in this province
if the decal is on display.
According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, auto theft costs Canadians
$600 million a year. If additional items like policing, court costs
and health care are factored in, the figure exceeds $1 billion.
Insurance companies set their rates according to the claims being
made upon them, so premiums reflect payouts made on vehicle-theft
claims. Theft has the same impact on premiums as multiple collisions.
From coast to coast in our country, 500 people walk out every day
to find that the car they parked earlier is gone. Supposedly, a
professional car thief can get the job done in 30 seconds or less.
Auto theft is always costly, even if your vehicle is not the one
that's stolen. It's in everybody's best interests to take precautions
to stop this from happening.
Sharon Melnicer is a Jewish artist, writer, teacher and
driver in Winnipeg.
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