50,000 more Manitoba cars require immobilizers

Mechanics in Manitoba can expect visits from about 50,000 more vehicle owners this year, as the cars and trucks are added to a list of vehicles that must have electronic ignition immobilizers installed to qualify for insurance.

Some drivers complain the program is a hassle, but Manitoba Public Insurance say it's paying off, and the province is on its way tothe lowest auto-theft statistics in a decade.

In 2004 the worst year on record 9,000 vehicles were stolen in Winnipeg alone.

Four years later, that number has dropped by two-thirds welcome news in the city, which has long been considered the country's car-theft capital.

"[It's] very difficult to determine where the auto theft rates are going, but we do know that Manitoba will be probablyNo.5,No. 6six provincially, and Winnipeg could drop as low as six or seven on the scale," said MPI spokesman Brian Smiley.

Smiley also credits the Winnipeg auto theft suppression strategy for the big decreases. Under that program, underage car thieves who are considered at the highest risk of reoffending can be contacted by justice officials as often as every three hours to ensure they're not out stealing cars. They can also be outfitted with GPS tracking devices as part of a one-year pilot project.

Thieves switching targets

The immobilizer program targets vehicles MPI considers most at-risk of being stolen. While they made up only five per cent of the vehicles in the province, they represented 70 to 80 per cent of vehicles stolen, Smiley said.

About 47,000 vehicles were targeted when the program was first introduced in June 2007 through new regulations under the province's Highway Traffic Act.

"After we had immobilizers put in, we noticed a trend where thieves were moving towards other vehicles. That's why we have the second phase of most-at-risk, another 50,000 vehicles," Smiley said.

One hundred more vehicle models were added to the immobilizer roll starting Oct. 1, which translates into about 50,000 more vehicles currently on Manitoba roads. The owners must install immobilizers if the vehicles:

• Are used in Winnipeg or to commute there.
• Have been stolen or been subject to an attempted theft.
• Are beingbrought into Manitoba from another jurisdiction.

The measure means about that one in seven vehicles registered in Manitoba need to have an immobilizer or be permanently parked, since MPI has a monopoly on vehicle insurance in the province.

Most October renewers prepared for change

The change doesn't require all 50,000 vehicles to have the anti-theft device installed by Wednesday; instead, owners must have them installed by the time they renew their insurance, typically on an anniversary date four months after their birthday.

Drivers with current registrations will receive notifications from MPI 120 days prior to their renewal dates.

Installation appointments have already been made by about 90 per cent of affected drivers who renew in October, and by about 80 per cent of those renewing in November, MPI said.

The Crown insurer picks up the entire cost for the purchase and standard installation of immobilizers for vehicles on the list. Motorists are responsible for any extra costs, such as additional labour required to work around a remote starter system or to provide additional key fobs.

Up to $400 in related costs can be financed through Manitoba Public Insurance for a term of up to five years with zero interest.

The addition of the new vehicle models to the immobilizer program is expected to cost about $15 million.

Immobilizers prevent an engine from starting without an electronic signal, usually generated by a chip in the ignition key. Under Transport Canada regulations, immobilizers are now required as standard equipment in all new vehicles manufactured for sale in Canada after Sept. 1, 2007.