We are hearing about the theft of cars, trucks, SUVs, trailers, RVs, boats, power sports equipment, and more, on a daily basis. Of late, specifically in the Greater Toronto Area, news has been covering a rash of violent carjackings and auto thefts, as reported in a recent CBC story.

That report stated that 

“Carjacking numbers have surged in the GTA this year (2022), with the number of vehicle robberies already set to outpace 2021 just halfway through the year.”

At the time this was written, over the past 30 days, in fact, 404 cars have been stolen from Mississauga and Brampton alone. That is a staggering 13 vehicles per day! Earlier this year CTV News Toronto reported that a vehicle was stolen every 48 minutes in Ontario. On a wider scale, statistics show that an estimated 90 vehicles are stolen every hour across North America.  

Statistics Canada shows that since 2016 Theft of motor vehicles in Ontario has been steadily on the rise. 

• 2016 = 17,241
• 2017 = 20,184
• 2018 = 23,943
• 2019 = 23,947
• 2020 = 24,259

The rise in thefts from 2016 to 2020, is a 41% increase. Compounding that, in a Toronto Police Service Board meeting this year, auto thefts were reported to be up eight percent in 2021 compared to 2020. The bottom line here is that a lot of cars, trucks, and SUVs are getting stolen.

According to Équité, the following vehicles were the most stolen in 2021:

• 2018 Ford F-150 Series/F-250 Series/F-350 Series/F-450 Series
• 2018 Honda CR-V Series
• 2005 Chevrolet/GMC Silverado Series/Sierra 1500 Series/2500 Series/3500 Series
• 2019 Dodge/Ram 1500 Series/2500 Series/3500 Series
• 2017 Lexus RX350 Series/RX450 Series
• 2019 Honda Civic Series
• 2019 Toyota Highlander Series
• 2017 Chrysler/Dodge Town & Country Series/Grand Caravan Series/Caravan Series/Voyager Series
• 2017 Toyota Corolla Series
• 2018 Honda Accord Series

Having a vehicle stolen can be a traumatic event. The invasion of your property and privacy can feel very threatening.

A beloved vehicle, as well as personal items, can be lost. In the worst-case scenarios, information from the vehicle that has been stolen can lead to identity theft.

Insurance claims help with some of the financial pain, but that process is long, stressful, and does not always end in the victim’s favour.

Compounding all of this, some experts suggest the increase in carjackings and auto theft, in general, could potentially raise auto insurance rates. 

Prevention

WhereSafe GPS offers a range of different GPS tracking options which vehicle owners can install in covert spots, out of sight too thieves in your vehicle.

Depending on needs, vehicle type, and desire for simplicity or preference, the vehicle owner can use hard-wired GPS trackers, an OBD plug-in GPS tracker, or fully independent battery-powered trackers.

(Image caption: MagTracker being installed on RV)

Varieties of the latter can be rechargeable or operate from store-bought batteries. They can offer optional trickle chargers and even be magnetic to maximize covert installations. 

In the event of theft or carjacking, a GPS tracking device vastly increases the chances of recovering the vehicle. With an installed GPS tracker, vehicle owners can always stay connected to the vehicle via a simple to use and understand mobile GPS tracking application.

(Image caption: How WhereSafe Works)

If needed app access can be shared with law enforcement so they can instantly see where the vehicle is traveling, at what speeds, its route, what time, and the specific address as to where it is, all in real-time.

(Image caption: Viewing the route on the WhereSafe app) 

WhereSafe GPS users benefit from a number of app-generated instant notifications to help mitigate incidents of theft.

NightWatch is a feature whereby an SMS, email, or push notification is sent to the user, the moment a vehicle moves during the night (or anytime depending on how the user has pre-set the app).

TamperGuard provides instant notifications if the GPS device has been tampered with, removed, or if any wires are cut.

SafetyNet is another WhereSafe app feature that will alert the vehicle owner if a vehicle leaves any pre-set geofence (eg. Around an entire city or even an individual property). 

Installing GPS tracking on a vehicle provides excellent peace of mind in a world where auto theft is increasing, while at the same time the cost and value of vehicles have never been higher.

Protecting high-value assets with GPS is a no-brainer.