Ontario and Quebec are vulnerable to organized vehicle theft because of their proximity to the port in Montreal. Huge cargo containers can’t all be checked, so vehicles sporting licence plates from both provinces frequently show up in places from Sierra Leone to Russia. Bryan Gast, Vice-President of Investigative Services for Équité informs me that these are trophy plates. If you’re wondering why your insurance premiums keep going up, this has become an increasingly prominent reason.
Much of the theft prevention advice you read is designed to encourage a thief to move along. But because they can easily thwart the technology that many of us believe keeps our car locked and safe, authorities are back to recommending deterrents like the classic steering-wheel club, a visible — if clumsy — heavy bar that physically locks the steering wheel. Sure they could cut through it, but they’re more likely to head to a vehicle that will save them time.
Until a few years ago, older pickup trucks dominated most stolen lists. They were easy to steal. Once thieves figured out how to hack into new cars, they became the target. If Quebec successfully protects its most-stolen vehicles, look for higher theft rates in other provinces — especially Ontario — to fill the overseas orders.Article content