Manitoba Public Insurance is making it easy and affordable for motorists to protect their vehicles with immobilizers. The enhanced incentive program is part of the corporation’s plan to see 90 per cent of Winnipeg vehicles “theft-proof” within five years.

Effective immediately, Manitoba Public Insurance will:

• guarantee a price of $280 (taxes included) for the purchase and standard installation* of an immobilizer that meets the Canadian standard
• pay $140 (in most cases, half) of the installation cost
• provide an interest-free loan for the balance (financed up to five years)
• reduce the Autopac premium for protected vehicles by $40 annually (plus an additional $5 discount if the customer has selected a $100 or $200 extension deductible)

*Costs may vary for individual vehicles. For example, vehicle owners who have a remote starter system will pay $360 for installation, as the electrical wiring is more complex. Manitoba Public Insurance will pay $140 toward the total cost, and the vehicle owner will be able to finance the rest up to five years.

Contents:

Cost and return

For the vehicle owner

In insurance discounts alone, an immobilizer purchased through this program can pay for itself within three and a half years ($40 x 3.5 = $140).

If the immobilizer is financed at no interest over a five-year term, the customer may actually pay $12 less to Manitoba Public Insurance each year. For example:

• A standard installation costs the customer $140. When this amount is financed interest-free over five years, the customer’s annual payment is + $28
• The customer also receives an annual Autopac insurance discount of - $40
• So, in addition to peace of mind, the customer sees an annual saving of - $12

For Manitoba Public Insurance

Manitoba Public Insurance will invest up to $40 million in this incentive program and expects to recoup this investment within four years by way of reduced claims costs.

Auto theft cost the corporation more than $35 million last year. Without concrete action this year, the long-term outlook for auto theft claims would indicate that Manitoba Public Insurance seek a rate increase in 2006/07, instead of holding the line. This program will return theft rates in Winnipeg to 1993 levels and save premium payers $95 million in years to come.

The auto theft problem may eventually disappear as immobilizers become standard equipment on new vehicles. (The federal government recently passed legislation making immobilizers mandatory on vehicles manufactured after 2007.) However, this province has a larger proportion of older vehicles, and older models tend to be stolen more often. Therefore, it will take many years for most of the Manitoba fleet to be protected by factory-installed immobilizers. The new program will help Manitoba reach theft-proof status faster by focusing on installation of aftermarket immobilizers.

The program will be funded through the Rate Stabilization Reserve, a financial pool maintained by the corporation to help keep rates stable. To provide full benefits to ratepayers, the program must be embraced by owners of the vehicles stolen most often in Manitoba.

Program details

3 easy steps to a theft-proof vehicle

1. Contact our Call Centre.

One call takes care of everything. A customer representative will schedule your appointment with an approved installer and arrange for financing. All of the necessary paperwork will be sent to the installer.

The Call Centre is open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Call 985-7000, toll-free 1-800-665-2410, deaf access TTY/DDD 985-8832.

2. Take your car to the installation facility.

A standard installation usually takes about three hours, or four hours if your vehicle has a remote starter.

First the installer will estimate the cost of installation for your vehicle. If you have a remote starter, for example, additional costs may apply.

If financing, you’ll be asked to sign a promissory note. The installer will collect payment from you directly for any costs not financed through Manitoba Public Insurance.

When it’s completed you’ll receive a Certificate of Installation, which you should keep for your records.

The installer will then send all of the necessary paperwork back to Manitoba Public Insurance.

3. Enjoy peace of mind and easy financing terms.

You’ll be billed according to the financing terms you’ve selected. You can pre-authorize monthly withdrawals from your bank account, or monthly charges to your MasterCard or Visa.

Meanwhile, follow other recommended precautions for protecting your vehicle. And enjoy the knowledge that your vehicle is virtually theft-proof.

Eligibility

• The incentive program is available to passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks insured through Basic Autopac.
• The immobilizer must meet the Canadian Theft Deterrent Standard set by the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).
• As a reward for being proactive, Manitoba Public Insurance will also provide the $140 rebate to any eligible vehicle owner who had a qualifying aftermarket (or optional factory-installed) immobilizer installed before June 24, 2005. The corporation will automatically provide the rebate and refund interest costs to the 2,660 participants in the previous incentive program. Others with an immobilizer previously installed may obtain the rebate by providing proof of the installation to Manitoba Public Insurance.

Financing

• The customer’s cost ($140 for a standard installation, plus any additional costs for special circumstances such as remote starters) can be financed through Manitoba Public Insurance at 0 per cent interest for a term of up to five years.
• Monthly payments can be made by way of pre-authorized withdrawals from bank accounts or automatic monthly charges to MasterCard or Visa.
• If the customer is currently financing an immobilizer through Manitoba Public Insurance, the interest rate will be retroactively dropped to zero and previous interest costs will be credited to the principal.

Partnership with CAA Manitoba

• Manitoba Public Insurance and CAA Manitoba have entered into a five-year agreement aimed at assuring a reliable supply of units at a substantially reduced price and a high standard of installation quality.
• CAA Manitoba will supply MasterGard M6000 immobilizers to its owned and subcontracted installation facilities, which will sell and install the units for the guaranteed price of $280. (This price is for a standard installation. The cost of installation will be higher for vehicles with remote start or vehicles currently equipped with aftermarket immobilizers that don’t meet the Canadian Theft Deterrent Standard.)
• The organization will also provide quality control by approving the installers, and by ensuring that they meet standards for accreditation, criminal record checks, financial stability and other CAA certification requirements. Quality assurance checks by CAA will include site inspections, customer follow-up and examination of installations.
• CAA Manitoba’s participation ensures the program can get up and running immediately with a reliable source of equipment and quality installation. However, the arrangement is not exclusive. Manitoba Public Insurance will seek similar agreements with other manufacturers of immobilizers meeting the Canadian standard and accredited installers of those products.

How to participate

• Call the Autopac Line at 985-7000 (toll-free 1-800-665-2410, deaf access TTY/DDD 985-8832). The Call Centre is open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
• The Call Centre will confirm eligibility for financing, arrange an appointment with the approved installer of the customer’s choice, and send the installer all the necessary documentation.

Auto theft facts

A safety issue

• In 2004, four people died and some 70 others were injured as a direct result of auto theft. Reckless behaviour such as car launchings has taken the problem to a dangerous new level.

A social issue

• In Manitoba, most auto thieves are between 12 and 17 and looking for “kicks.” Once they make the poor decision to steal a car, their lives are often permanently derailed – and they risk injury and death themselves by driving the vehicles.

A business/financial issue:

• Auto theft cost Manitoba Public Insurance more than $35 million in 2004, a cost that is passed on to ratepayers.
• More than 10,000 cars were stolen in Manitoba last year.
• Without any program to help address the problem, Manitobans would pay one per cent more for auto insurance in 2006.
• This program has a four-year pay back and is expected to save $95 million in claims costs.

A Winnipeg issue

• In 2004, auto thefts in Winnipeg increased by nearly 31 per cent while the rate for rural Manitoba decreased by 1.1 per cent.
• The odds of theft in Winnipeg are 1 in 52, compared to odds of 1 in 159 in rural Manitoba.
• About 84 per cent of Manitoba auto thefts occur in Winnipeg, and no neighbourhood is immune from the crime.

About electronic ignition immobilizers

• An immobilizer is the surest protection against theft. It disables the car’s ignition system so it can’t be started without a special key or code. When someone tries to start your car without the key or code, the immobilizer cuts power to the starter, ignition and fuel supply.
• In the eight years that the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has been tracking such thefts, no vehicle in Canada with an immobilizer meeting the national standard has been stolen due to the defeat of an immobilizer.
• The Manitoba Public Insurance program requires immobilizers to meet the IBC Canadian Theft Deterrent Standard.

Other anti-theft efforts

The immobilizer incentive program is a key component of a larger anti-theft strategy dealing with all aspects of the problem. Manitoba Public Insurance is working with the justice system, law enforcement and community services to address this major challenge.

• The Winnipeg Auto-Theft Suppression Strategy, a two-year program announced in April 2005, targets the worst repeat offenders with a strict curfew program.
• The Multi-Media Challenge and community-based programs make youth aware of the negative consequences of stealing cars and encourage healthier alternatives.
• Legal remedies are pursued by dedicated theft investigators, a specialized auto theft prosecution team and the Winnipeg Police Stolen Auto Unit, and through increased sanctions under The Highway Traffic Act and lobbying for changes to The Youth Criminal Justice Act and The Criminal Code of Canada. The corporation also actively pursues thieves to recover the cost of claims caused by auto theft.
• The Combat Auto Theft (CAT) decal program alerts police to vehicles that are rarely driven late at night.
• Citizens on Patrol Program (COPP) mobilizes people to participate in community-based crime prevention initiatives in co-operation with law enforcement agencies.