TORONTO, ONTARIO - Vehicle theft is a serious, ongoing phenomenon that has a direct negative impact on Ontario society. In order to evaluate the perceptions of Ontarians on the auto theft issue, Boomerang Tracking commissioned an Angus Reid study to gauge how Ontarians are currently protecting their vehicles.

Survey results indicate that 60% of respondents who own a vehicle believe that the number of vehicles stolen in the province is high but 51% are not worried about their own vehicle being stolen. According to statistics from the Provincial Auto Theft Team of the Ontario Provincial Police, 52,000 cars are stolen per year in Ontario at a cost of $450 to $500 million, which equals $48 per insurance holder.

In light of the survey results and in order to better educate the public on ways to protect their vehicle from theft, Boomerang Tracking has declared November as Auto Theft Awareness Month.

“It’s up to each Ontarian to stay vigilant and take steps to ensure they don’t become a victim,” says Sergeant Stephen Boyd of the Provincial Auto Theft Team. “In Canada, 40 to 65 deaths per year are directly related to automobile theft. Every one of us has a responsibility to stop thieves in their tracks before the crime leads to more serious consequences.”

“Clearly, the major findings of this research study confirm the importance and urgency to work together to effectively fight vehicle theft in Ontario,” affirms Scott Nilson, General Manager of Boomerang Tracking. “Boomerang is committed to educating the public against this problem and to highlighting effective prevention methods against vehicle theft.”

Ontarians use a piecemeal of solutions for auto theft

According to the Angus Reid survey, most of respondents were aware of the four primary methods of prevention against vehicle theft: common sense, alarms or steering locks, an immobilizing device and a recovery device.

Indeed, 54% of respondents lock their car doors, 13% use an alarm system, 11% park in a secure location, 8% use an immobilizer and only 3% a recovery device.

“Every driver has a part to play in stopping vehicle theft: it is essential that consumers take a proactive role in protecting themselves. We believe the more layers of protection a driver uses, the safer their vehicle will be,” said Nilson.

Free tools to learn more

As part of Auto Theft Awareness Month to educate the Ontario population about vehicle theft and highlight the four steps to vehicle protection, Boomerang Tracking has published the Keeping Track booklet, a guide to protect vehicles from theft. It includes a review of vehicle theft in Canada and the four methods of prevention against theft. An electronic version is available on the Boomerang Tracking website at http://www.boomerangtracking.com./

In addition, Boomerang Tracking has launched a YouTube channel to better educate drivers. The video entitled “Auto Theft Prevention 101″ clip presents these four methods to prevent theft and is viewable at http://www.youtube.com/boomerangtracking

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