If new analysis by CBC’s Marketplace is anything to go by, it appears car thieves are likely to have a harder time stealing the same vehicle model in the UK than in Canada.
Marketplace examined some of the most stolen Canadian cars that are also available to British motorists, finding that the versions on UK roads are less thief-friendly when it comes to their security features.
It was reported that the same models in Canada are not fitted to be as secure.
“This is completely not right,” CBC quoted an auto theft victim in Canada as saying in response to the findings. “Car manufacturers should have the same security features all around the world.”
Identified as Anuj Sethi, the baffled motorist had his Range Rover stolen from his driveway in Ontario. According to Équité Association’s top 10 most stolen vehicles in Canada of 2022 based on theft frequency, the Land Rover Range Rover was ranked number one.
Meanwhile Anita Anand, Canada’s Minister of Transport since September, is doubling down on the issue of car theft.
“To combat auto theft, all levels of government have a role to play,” she said in an online post. “My message to the provinces and territories is clear: Work together to stop re-vinning and put an end to these loopholes. There is more work to do to bring down auto thefts in Canada.”
‘ReVINing’ is the fraudulent alteration of vehicle identification numbers (VINs) to sell stolen cars.
According to data published by the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), auto theft insurance claims dipped by 19% year on year in the first half of 2024 while overall rates in Canada remain significantly higher than historical figures.
Over the last decade, auto theft claims have surged by 138%, with the value of those claims seeing a massive 442% leap.
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