According to a recent report by Équité Association, automobile thefts increased by 48.2 percent in the province of Ontario between 2021 and 2023. Year over year, vehicle thefts in Ontario increased 5.7 percent from 2022 to 2023.
When it comes to would-be thefts, the best offense is a good defence. And that means ensuring your vehicle has the proper safety and theft measures in place to stop your car from leaving your property.
Canadian Tire in Collingwood has a wide assortment of car security and lock products, from vehicle clubs, to RFID blockers, to dash cams, security cameras and motion sensors.
As modern vehicles have become more reliant on technology, this has allowed thieves to use that same technology to hack into cars and steal them within mere minutes. But there are several ways to keep your wheels safe and secure.
Tom Brohman is a senior parts advisor at Canadian Tire in Collingwood and recommends a product like a club or steering wheel lock to prevent thieves from driving off with your vehicle when you least expect it.
“If somebody’s going to steal your car and they see that on there, typically they would move to the next car that doesn’t have one so they don’t have to deal with it,” Brohman said. “It’s extra work and they’re trying to be as fast as they can so they can move to the next car.”
Depending on your insurance company, having a steering wheel lock or club on your vehicle may earn you a discount or the insurance company may wave certain surcharges on high theft vehicle models.
Most of these steering wheel locking devices range in price from $60 on the low end to $110 on the high end at Canadian Tire, but it’s an inexpensive way to protect something that might cost tens of thousands of dollars to replace.
“Criminals aren’t overly enthusiastic when it comes to working hard,” Brohman said. “If they see something they have to work for, then they’ll move to the next one. For a security device, it’s not a lot of money. Between the price and the simplicity of installing and removing it, it’s very user-friendly.”
Canadian Tire offers another very popular product that helps against vehicle thefts, which is RFID signal blockers. These are pouches or boxes where you place your keys in so thieves can’t scan the code from the key fob in your house and use that code to gain access to your car.
Brohman recommends that anyone with a vehicle 2018 or newer use an RFID blocker not only at home, but also store your keys in a RFID signal blocking pouch on your person. This stops thieves from copying that code while you’re on the go.
“The technology is changing, but so are the way things are being stolen,” Brohman said.
In addition to a club, steering wheel lock or RFID blocker, a combination of an outdoor surveillance camera and motion detectors also makes your driveway or garage an undesirable place for would-be thieves to target your vehicle.
The best offense to protect yourself against vehicle theft is a good defence.
For peace of mind, speak to any advisor at your local Collingwood Canadian Tire at 89 Balsam Street in The Collingwood Centre.
This article was sponsored by Canadian Tire Collingwood, a 2023 CollingwoodToday Reader Favourite.