Nearly eight in 10 Brampton residents believe their community is facing an auto theft crisis
73% fear their vehicle will be stolen
TORONTO, Dec. 14, 2023 /CNW/ - Auto theft is a crisis right across Ontario, but Brampton residents are feeling it most acutely, according to a poll commissioned by Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).
"The auto theft crisis is creating unsafe communities – 73% of Brampton residents are concerned that their car will be stolen. And with good reason. The number of theft claims in Brampton increased 133% between 2018 and 2022, and the cost of those claims skyrocketed nearly 400%," said Amanda Dean, Interim Vice-President, Ontario, IBC. "Vehicle thefts in Brampton outpace the auto theft rate in other parts of Ontario by about 20%. That's saying something considering Ontario has the highest rate of auto thefts in the country. While we need a whole-of-society approach that includes all levels of government, insurers and auto manufacturers to solve this crisis, there are steps you can take to prevent your vehicle from being stolen."
IBC encourages drivers to follow Équité Association's layered approach to protection, which consists of four categories: simple steps, anti-theft devices, vehicle immobilizers and tracking devices.
In general, the harder a car is to steal and the less expensive it is to repair, the less the car costs to insure. To help make an informed decision when purchasing a vehicle, speak to your insurance representative and check out Équité Association's list of the top 10 most stolen vehicles in Canada.
Auto theft hurts everyone – when thieves steal, we all pay. It costs every Ontario driver an average of $130 a year; that's how much of your auto insurance premium goes toward settling claims for stolen vehicles. But that's only part of the story. Ontarians pay more than $1.6 billion to cover the societal costs associated with auto theft – from law enforcement and court resources, to the anguish of being victimized, to general economic costs.
For more information on how to help solve the auto theft crisis, visit endautotheft.ca.
Pollara Strategic Insights conducted the online poll from October 13 to 27, 2023. They polled 1,603 randomly selected adult (18 years+) Ontarians. Online samples cannot be assigned a margin of error. However, as a guideline, a probability sample of 1,603 carries a margin of error of ±2.5%, 19 times out of 20. The margin of error is larger for sub-segments. Pollara Strategic weighted the data set according to gender, age and region to ensure that the sample reflects the actual population of adult Ontarians.
Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up the vast majority of the property and casualty (P&C) insurance market in Canada. For more than 50 years, IBC has worked with governments across the country to help make affordable home, auto and business insurance available for all Canadians. IBC supports the vision of consumers and governments trusting, valuing and supporting the private P&C insurance industry. It champions key issues and helps educate consumers on how best to protect their homes, cars, businesses and properties.
For media releases and more information, visit IBC's Media Centre at www.ibc.ca. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @InsuranceBureau and like us on Facebook. If you have a question about home, auto or business insurance, contact IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC.
SOURCE Insurance Bureau of Canada
Media Contact: Brett Weltman, Manager, Media Relations, IBC, [email protected]
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