[Auto] In Ontario, insurance companies register one vehicle theft claim every 37 minutes
Good to know
- Almost 14,000 vehicle theft claims were registered in 2021 by insurance companies in Ontario, e.g. one claim every 37 minutes
- This is 28.4% more than in 2020, during which around 11,000 vehicle theft claims were filed by insurance companies in Ontario
- In Ontario, around 55% of stolen vehicles are SUVs
- With a ratio of 9.8 vehicle thefts per 10,000 inhabitants in 2021, Ontario ranks better than Alberta (11.9) but worse than Quebec (8.6) and the Atlantic provinces (4.5)
- In 2021, the Lexus RX (2016-2021 models) has been the car model preferred by thieves in Ontario, with a 9.4% theft ratio!
Car thefts have increased by 28.4% between 2020 and 2021 in Ontario
In Ontario, the number of vehicle theft claims has increased by 28.4% in one year, from around 11,000 in 2020 to close to 14,000 in 2021*. But is Ontario more or less affected its neighbors? When looking at the 2021 vehicle thefts ratio of the provinces that have a private car insurance system, we find out that :
- With a ratio of 9.8 vehicles stolen per 10,000 inhabitants in 2021, Ontario ranks better than Alberta, which has a 11.9 ratio
- This represents a 2.5 points increase in comparison with 2020, back when the Ontario vehicle thefts ratio was 7.3
- However, this is more than Quebec (with a ratio of 8.6 stolen vehicles per inhabitants) and the Atlantic provinces (with a 4.5 ratio)
- In 2021, Alberta is the only province that had its vehicle thefts ratio declining.
Source: Équité Association
Good to know
*Those numbers sere provided to us by Équité Association. The organization asked us not to disclose the exact numbers, which is why we do not unveil them.
In Ontario, 55.1% of stolen vehicles in 2021 were SUVs
It is no surprise to observe that in Ontario, SUVs are more and more targeted by vehicle thieves. This kind of vehicle has now become the most purchased in all the Western countries, whether in Europe or North America, which makes it more valuable for criminal organizations involved in that kind of trafic. We can see on the below graph that :
- In 2021, 55.1% of stolen vehicles in Ontario were SUVs: this is 7.3 points more than in 2020
- Conversely, 'only' 28.2% of stolen vehicles in Ontario in 2021 were sedans, a 7.2 points decline in comparison with 2020
- After those two main vehicle categories come the pick-ups, which represent 14.1% of the vehicles stolen in 2021 in Ontario (+1 point in one year) and the vans (2.6% of vehicle thefts, - 1 point in one year).
Source: Équité Association
In Ontario, almost 1 out of 10 Lexus XR were stolen in 2021!
Lexus XR owners in Ontario should be scared: numbers disclosed by Équité Association show that in 2021, 9.4% of them (for the 2016-2021 models) in the province were stolen, almost one out of 10! This makes (by far) that vehicle the favorite model for thieves in Ontario in 2021, in front of the Range Rover Sport (4.2% of thefts) and the Toyota Highlander (1.7%).
Source: Équité Association
Expert advice
Bryan Gast, VP Investigative Services of Équité Association
“Auto theft is a complex national problem that costs Canadians millions of dollars each year,” says Bryan Gast, VP, Investigative Services of Équité Association, a not-for-profit organization supporting Canadian property and casualty insurers in the fight against insurance fraud. “Canada has become a source nation for the theft and exportation of high-value vehicles. Vehicles across the country are being stolen in greater volume for export internationally by organized crime networks. The proceeds of this illegal activity are being used to fund organized crime and terrorism, both domestically and internationally,” says Gast. “Thieves continue to exploit technology to steal vehicles through relay attacks and reprograming”.
Methodology
In addition to its expert editorial line around insurance and financial products, HelloSafe explores broader topics relating to global consumption in Canada and around the world. The aim is to decipher certain complex subjects for consumers and to provide everyone with the latest information. It is within this framework that HelloSafe regularly carries out studies on trends relating to current personal finance in Canada.
There are various statistics available on car thefts in Ontario, mainly from insurance companies or public authorities (police in particular). The differences between these two sources can be significant. This study is based on figures provided to us by Équité Association, a not-for-profit organization supporting Canadian property and casualty insurers in the fight against insurance fraud. Thus, the figures used are based on thefts that have been declared to insurance companies, which explains why the numbers presented may be lower than those disclosed by the police.
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HelloSafe is a leading platform for comparing financial products (insurance, credit, investments) in Canada. Powered by its unique and powerful technology, HelloSafe provides users with dozens of free and anonymous comparison tools, calculators and expert, up-to-date content. Its platform empowers users to make the best decisions for their wallets and find the right products at the right prices for them.
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