Auto insurers telling drivers to install anti-theft measures or pay higher premium
CTV
As automotive thefts continue to run rampant across Canada, auto insurers are forcing drivers to choose between installing costly anti-theft measures or paying higher premiums.
As automotive thefts continue to run rampant across Canada, auto insurers are forcing drivers to choose between installing costly anti-theft measures or paying higher premiums.
It's the exact scenario North Algona Wilberforce resident Kimberley Ashick was faced with after purchasing a new 2022 Dodge Ram 1500.
"I got a letter about putting an immobilizer in it, and if I didn't, my insurance was going up another $1,500 on top of what I'm paying," she told CTV News.
"And I went, oh my God, are you kidding me?"
On her previous vehicle, a 2015 Toyota RAV-4, Ashick says her yearly insurance premium with CAA Insurance was about $540.
After installing the immobilizer in her new RAM pickup truck, her insurance is now over $1,100 yearly. She says the anti-theft device cost her nearly $700 itself.
In a statement to CTV News, CAA Insurance said, "Everyone has a role in combatting auto theft, including policyholders who have vehicles highly sought out by thieves. […] policyholders with vehicles identified as having a high theft risk are now subject to a High Theft Risk Premium Surcharge."
