The technology would largely explain the 45 percent growth in Toronto’s vehicle thefts in 2022, Queen City police officials told Global News.
Technology that opens doors and starts a vehicle without a key is implicated in “most cases of auto theft,” according to the Toronto Police Service.
Thieves are particularly capable of intercepting the frequencies between the key and the vehicle in order to gain access.
Malefactors also manage to reprogram the key and change the frequency to easily steal a car.
“Whenever there is a technological breakthrough, it seems like in many ways the thieves are either ahead of the game or not too far behind,” said David Adams, President and CEO of Global Automakers of Canada.
The top stolen vehicles in Canada last year were the Honda CR-V, Lexus RX production model, Ford F-150, Honda Civic and Toyota Highlander.
The vice president of the Equity Association, the Canadian Bureau of Insurance’s investigative division into auto theft, Bryan Gast, wants everyone in the field to work together as a team to counteract the problem.
He calls for “a collaborative approach” involving law enforcement, automakers, the insurance and banking sectors, and consumers to strengthen security.
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