Canada Makes Anti-Theft Devices Mandatory

Transport Canada has decided that all new cars, SUV’s, light trucks and vans must now have anti-theft engine immobilizers on them before they leave the factory. They are trying to cut down on the high number of vehicle thefts that have been occurring in Canada. As of Saturday, all of the new vehicles must have them.

The idea is that with the new device, a CBC Immobilizer, the car will not be able to start and less cars will be stolen. Boomerang Tracing says that 36% of cars that have been stolen since 2003 have had the ant-theft device in them, and that thieves will simply tow the car away or put it on a flatbed truck. They say that this will not stop the professionals.

The auto insurance professionals in the state disagree – they say that some professionals will still be able to take the car, but that others will not have the same access to that kind of equipment and will have to leave the car. They also say that those with the device will save money on their auto insurance.

The device is an ignition immobilizer chip and it goes inside the keys to the car. When a person tries to start the car without the key the engine will not start because it does not recognize the chip. Hot-wiring is no longer possible because they would have to bypass the ignition system, and not use the key. According to auto insurance experts, auto theft costs the country more than a billion a year.

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