Auto theft is an ever-increasing crime in Ontario. More than 52,000 motor vehicles are stolen annually in Ontario, with auto theft claims in the province having increased by 524% between 2018 and 2023, surpassing $1 billion for the first time in 2023. We can all agree that these are very high numbers, but the worst thing about them is that they seem to be getting higher every year.
While you might think such a terrible thing could never happen to you, most vehicle owners who get their cars stolen also think that. No matter how much they think they’ve prepared themselves, regardless of where you live, nobody is immune to having their vehicle stolen. However, you can take many steps to protect your car from theft that will help drastically lower the odds, such as being vigilant about where you park your car and investing in one or more anti-theft devices for cars.
The expert brokers at Morison Insurance have put together a list of tips to help prevent car theft. As your car insurance experts, we don’t want you to have to submit an insurance claim because your car isn’t where you left it. By following these prevention tips about personal behaviours, key storage, and car anti-theft technology, you can help prevent auto theft and feel secure that you are doing your part in keeping your vehicle safe.
Many of the most essential steps you can take to prevent car theft are ones that don’t cost any money and require very little time. However, people often need to pay more attention to many of these basic steps in a rush, even though these precautions are the first step in protecting your car from theft.
Sometimes, all it can take is a single moment of carelessness that leads to your vehicle getting stolen. Or, maybe something that you have been doing your whole life creates an opportunity for someone to steal your vehicle. Either way, practicing these smart habits will go a long way to prevent car theft.
A very common mistake, as silly as it may seem, is to leave your car key in the ignition. Although very few people do this for hours at a time, many people often leave their car running for a few minutes when they go back inside to grab something they forgot. This makes them easy prey for even novice car thieves, who can just climb into the driver’s seat as if they owned the car and drive away with your stolen car. If nobody nearby knows that this person isn’t the owner, nobody will stop them from driving away. Also, since they’re already in their new getaway vehicle, they can cover a lot of distance by the time you’ve found your wallet.
As touched on in the point above, leaving your car keys unattended in an easily accessible location makes your vehicle easy pickings for theft. Even if it’s just spare keys, having access to them will allow any potential car thieves to be able to access your vehicle more easily and get away with it. And because they have keys, much like with the point above, unless people know for sure that’s not the vehicle owner, they’re not going to be stopped.
Leaving keys in places such as the cupholder, glove compartment, on the seat, in the wheel well, or the gas tank cover is one of the worst car theft prevention habits you can get into. Regardless of whether you live in small-town Ontario or a major city, when you exit the vehicle, make sure you have your keys with you to help stop car theft. Having them on your person or storing them safely away from your vehicle will ensure that no one can utilize a conveniently placed set to steal your car.
Another mistake that sounds silly to miss, but anyone can have this slip their mind due to being in a hurry or simply underestimating their risk, is forgetting to lock the car doors and close your windows. This should be a simple step in car theft prevention, but it can easily slip the mind of someone who needs to think more carefully, especially if you are in a hurry.
Remember to double-check that they’re locked by trying to open the doors yourself. Remember that if you have kids, it’s best to double-check that they also lock the passenger doors. You might not want to start sounding like your parents did when you were a kid, but would you rather annoy your kids slightly or lose your car?
Sometimes, simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time can make your car an easy target for thieves. Although there’s no perfect spot to park that will completely prevent car theft, you can take a few steps here to ensure that you don’t become easy pickings for would-be car thieves.
The most effective step you can take here to prevent car theft is to park your car in a garage or other closed area if possible. Not only does a secure garage add at least one door as an additional obstacle for anyone trying to steal it, but it also makes it highly likely that a potential thief won’t even know about your car in the first place. Additionally, many garages employ security or car theft prevention methods, such as requiring you to sign in, the use of video cameras and key fobs, which make them a more secure spot to park your car.
If you don’t have access to a private garage, the next best thing you can do is park in a well-lit area. Although this might seem to put a literal spotlight on your vehicle, it would also put the same spotlight on anyone trying to steal it. Thieves don’t want people to catch them stealing, and being in a brightly lit space makes it easier for people to see them and catch them in the act. This also works in parking lots, so choosing a well-lit parking space can be an effective way to reduce the likelihood of your car being stolen. Making sure you’re in a busier area can also help, as someone trying to steal your car will want to minimize their chances of getting caught, thus avoiding places with more people around. Parking in a place with lower crime rates is also recommended.
You have another line of defence to prevent car theft if you have multiple cars and a driveway. You can use the less valuable car to “block” the more valuable one in your driveway.
While there are very few things more valuable than a car, having something valuable inside can get a thief to decide that your car is the one they’ll try to steal. Things like a laptop, wallet, cell phone or another high-value item might be enough extra to entice a robber to steal your car. Hiding valuable items will make your car a less tempting target for thieves, lowering the risk of break-ins and thefts. Places that can effectively conceal these items include under seats, in the glove compartment, or in the trunk. Each location ensures that your valuables are ‘covered’ and not visible to someone who decides to peek inside your windows. Someone can’t steal a smartphone that they didn’t know was there.
Keeping valuable items out of sight is an extra step in protecting your car from theft, and it also stops potential smash and grabs. Small things, such as a smartphone, can also be kept on your person, but if you can’t safely store it away from view, take it with you when you exit the vehicle.
While you can take plenty of steps to stop car theft spending a dime, you can always go the extra mile by investing in an anti-theft device for your car(s). Although basic common sense and smart habits will go a long way, you can take many additional steps to bring your protection to the next level. You can always invest in one or more devices or systems to lower your risk and discourage theft even further.
Some popular anti-theft devices for cars you may want to consider investing in for your car or truck include:
A security camera or other device capable of capturing the thief will ensure that your car will continuously be monitored on your property. Thieves want to avoid cameras, so if they notice one on your property, they will be more likely to avoid it, making this car theft prevention method well worth the investment. And if the camera doesn’t deter the thief, it will get you a glimpse of them, making identifying and tracking them down easier.
A few car anti-theft devices can act as a visual deterrent to would-be thieves, while making the vehicle physically harder to steal.
One type of physical car theft prevention you can invest in is a steering wheel lock, which usually takes the form of a metal bar that will ‘lock’ the steering wheel in place for anyone without the right keys, making a getaway for the thief much more difficult. Given the fact that these steering wheel locks are also almost always highly noticeable, it will also lower the chances of someone trying to steal your car in the first place, as many will consider your vehicle not worth the hassle.
A hidden kill switch is another device that can help protect your car from theft. This is a device that, when installed, will stop your vehicle from starting unless the operator flips it. While this may seem trivial, you can hide the switch anywhere on your car, meaning that a potential thief will have to find it to steal the car, even if they get everything else right.
Other car lockdown devices that can stop car theft can include brake locks, an electronic engine immobilizer, and wheel clamps. While all will help reduce your risk of car theft significantly, it’s important to note that lockdown devices are not fool-proof, and shouldn’t be relied on alone. Speak to your car insurance broker about how you can reduce your risk of car theft.
The most well-known anti-theft feature is an audible car alarm. If you’ve ever heard one, you know how well they manage to capture the attention of everyone within a relatively large area fairly quickly. The second this alarm goes off, anybody trying to break into your vehicle will be caught red-handed by any witnesses present. The second a thief hears that they tripped an active alarm, they’re unlikely to continue trying to break in, run far from the scene and avoid the area for the foreseeable future.
Many modern vehicles are equipped with this car theft prevention feature, but if your older car doesn’t have one or you don’t think it works as it should, make sure to speak to your mechanic about your theft deterrent options to keep your car safe.
Let’s say worse comes to worse. Despite taking every reasonable precaution you know in how to prevent vehicle theft, your car ends up getting stolen. An onboard car GPS or a tag tracking system will make your car trackable, as you will know the exact location it was taken to, making tracking down the thief easy. A tracking device like this sends the location of your car to a connected computer or smartphone so that you can track where your car is 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These systems are capable of telling you (and law enforcement) the location of your stolen vehicle and communicating the speed and direction the car is heading in.
Modern tech has done plenty of great things to make everything more convenient. Keyless entry, which many cars now come with, is a great example of this. However, just like the ‘remember me’ check box on a login screen, something that makes things easier for you also makes things easier for someone who has less than great intentions, so it’s important to take steps to prevent car theft.
Keyless entry, despite its great intent, leaves you more exposed to car thieves. A thief, or more often a pair of thieves, can use a relay amplifier and a relay transmitter together to pick up your key’s signal and trick your car’s system into unlocking as if you were using the fob. This allows them to walk in and drive away. As scary as this may seem, there are further steps you can take to stop car theft caused by keyless entry.
One of the largest weaknesses of a key fob is how exposed it is. The signal it gives off is not protected at all from a relay amplifier, making the signal more prone to being intercepted. Luckily, a key fob cover can assist in protecting your car from theft at very little cost. They also fit right in your pocket, giving you this protection when you’re on the go as well as at home.
It is important to note, though, that key fob covers are made of very specific materials, so just purchasing a tiny bag, or stuffing the fob in your wallet won’t do as a DIY car theft prevention. You need the metallic screen to stop the waves that the fob gives out, and block the signal from being picked up, which will help prevent car theft.
While a key fob cover provides one layer of protection in car theft prevention, it’s always best to have multiple layers, especially when you’re not around and about. Storing your fob in a metal container can add an added layer of security measures for car theft protection, including storing it in the middle of your place of residence, far away from where your vehicle is parked. An amplifier can only pick up signals up to a certain range, so if it’s possible to place your fob away from the edges of your home, as that will help prevent car theft.
Sometimes the best protection you can have for technology is to turn it ‘off’ when it’s not in use. Amplifiers can’t pick up and steal your fob’s signal if the fob isn’t giving off a signal. The vast majority of fobs allow you to turn them off, so this is usually the best defence you can have in keyless car theft prevention. The owner’s manual should explain how to do this, and if it does not, it’s recommended you contact your car’s manufacturer, as preventing others from hijacking the signal is a great way to prevent car theft from occurring.
First things first, remember not to panic. Panicking will likely cause you to make a poor decision, making your situation even worse. The best thing you can do is to stay calm and contact the right people. After that, sit tight and work your way through the emotions of the situation, as having your car stolen can be a traumatic event for anyone.
Sadly, calling the Ghostbusters won’t do you good when your car is stolen. However, as obvious as it may seem, the police can be extremely helpful if you call them. This is where one of the proactive steps mentioned earlier, knowing your car information, will come in very handy. Things such as the make, model, and license plate number of your vehicle will be among the first things the cops will ask you, and identifying these will help them start the search a lot sooner and give them a better idea of what they’re looking for.
The other place you should call right away is your insurance broker. Almost every auto insurance policy has some protection against vehicle theft. Understanding your auto insurance plan will help you get the compensation you deserve.
This content is written by our Morison Insurance team. All
information posted is merely for educational and informational purposes. It is
not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Should you decide to act
upon any information in this article, you do so at your own risk. While the
information on this website has been verified to the best of our abilities, we
cannot guarantee that there are no mistakes or errors.