Repeat thefts of high-risk vehicles will become a thing of the past this fall, when new anti-theft measures are put into practice by the Manitoba government.

Once stolen, vehicles at high risk of auto theft will have to be equipped with immobilizers before they can be put back on the road. The new measures will also require immobilizers to be installed in any high-risk vehicle imported into the province for the first time.

The changes take effect September 1, and apply to all vehicles on the Manitoba Public Insurance “most at risk” list. Because they are on this list, Manitoba Public Insurance will provide immobilizers to the owners at no cost. The growing immobilizer network now has the capacity to install about 1,000 units a week.

After one of these vehicles is stolen and recovered, the owner will have 30 days to install a no-cost immobilizer. If the installation isn't completed within that time, a Certificate of Inspection (COI) will be issued requiring the equipment.

If a vehicle on the list is being brought into Manitoba by a used car dealer for resale, the dealer will be required to install a free immobilizer immediately or notify potential buyers that an immobilizer is required before the vehicle can be registered. On average, about 6,000 of these vehicles are brought into Manitoba for resale every year.

The very few owners moving to Manitoba with high-risk vehicles will have six months to install immobilizers at no cost. They will be given priority appointments so they can protect their vehicles as quickly as possible.

The new measures build on the no-cost immobilizer program introduced by Manitoba Public Insurance this spring. President and Chief Executive Officer Marilyn McLaren said efforts to reduce auto theft have been undermined by large numbers of vulnerable vehicles that enter the province annually and by Manitobans who have not yet participated in the program even though their vehicle has been stolen at least once.

“For our immobilizer strategy to be effective, we need to address these two issues and the government has indicated it will make the necessary changes,” she said. “Manitoba Public Insurance is prepared to partner with these vehicle owners to provide them with immobilizers at no cost."

Attorney General Gord Mackintosh said the measures respond to the well-documented patterns of Manitoba auto thieves, who target the same types of vehicles again and again. He said the government recommended the regulatory changes after learning that 1,571 of the vehicles stolen in Manitoba last year had already been stolen at least once before. Of this group, 302 vehicles had been stolen twice before and 99 vehicles that had been stolen more than three times previously. Repeat thefts cost premium payers $6.5 million in 2005.

“Last year 42 Manitobans were injured because 1,571 vehicles were stolen for the second, third or even sixth time,” Mackintosh said. “Our goal is to reduce the number of vehicles vulnerable to theft and find effective ways to protect them.”

Manitoba Public Insurance provides no cost immobilizers meeting the national Insurance Bureau of Canada standard to owners of vehicles on its “most at risk” list. For these 150 different make/model and model year combinations, the average odds of being stolen in Manitoba are 1 in 22. While they make up 10 per cent of the total number of vehicles in the province, they account for 62 per cent of the theft claims.

Today, Manitoba Public Insurance extended the program for another six months and expanded it to include all most-at-risk vehicles in Manitoba. The extension to February 28, 2007 will allow all most-at-risk vehicle owners the opportunity to participate, McLaren said.

“By taking these steps, we are expanding access to the program enabling owners to be part of the solution.”

For other vehicle owners, Manitoba Public Insurance continues to provide immobilizers at a special cost of $140 plus free financing. Any vehicle with an immobilizer also earns a $40 annual insurance discount.

To date, more than 23,500 Manitobans have signed up for the corporation's no-cost and low-cost incentive programs.

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Contact:
Manitoba Public Insurance Media Relations
(204) 985-7300 or 1-888-554-9549 (Toll Free)