Danny Da Costa, Senior Vice President, Ontario Division, Intact Insurance
Car theft increased by 48.3% in Ontario between 2022 and 2021. Équité Association recently reported that car theft costs Canadians over a billion dollars a year. Data from police and insurers suggest that 2023 will, unfortunately, set more auto theft records.
As an industry that exists to help people and give them peace of mind, we need to act to fix this—now. While the focus in the media tends to be on high-net-worth vehicles and the most frequently targeted cars, we know that car theft has no bounds or borders. It can happen to anyone, anytime, no matter what or where they drive—and every customer deserves to be protected.
It starts with prevention
Drivers need to know they’re protected, whether they’re behind the wheel or their car is parked in the driveway. Just as cars come equipped with the safety features to help protect lives and make roads safer, they can be equipped with technology that protects vehicles from theft.
When car theft first soared in Quebec, we partnered with Tag to bring its leading-edge theft prevention and tracking technology to that market. We’re now leveraging that long-standing relationship to bring Tag’s proven protection to all your Intact Insurance Ontario personal lines customers.
The Tag system effectively combats auto theft by enabling vehicle recovery and theft prevention. Small wireless tracking devices installed throughout the vehicle, and nanotags etched on frequently dismantled parts, ensure a near-perfect recovery rate of protected cars. A physical etch on the front driver and passenger side windows warns would-be thieves that the car is protected and serves as a theft deterrent.
Give your customers the peace of mind they need
We hear a lot about the financial cost of car theft to insurers and individuals. Anyone who’s ever supported a customer through a claim knows there’s more to any loss than the financial impact. Car theft takes an emotional toll. It leaves people feeling vulnerable and frightened. The stress associated with the claim, and the need to replace what’s a necessity for most people, can be immense—especially in today’s economic environment.
As brokers, you play a key role in helping your customers avoid that stress. Start the conversation about the risks of car theft. Educate them about the options available, including the protection offered by tracking, recovery and prevention technologies.
It’s easy
We want to make it as easy as possible for your customers to get this protection. All it takes is one phone call to Speedy Glass to book an appointment, one hour to install and one special price that includes installation, monitoring fees, tracking and recovery fees.
With the impact of inflation and the rise in the cost of living over the past two years, we understand customers may be sensitive to additional costs of installing even highly effective tools such as Tag. To mitigate, we’re offering customers with this prevention technology a discount on their Intact Insurance premium.
As their trusted advisor, you can offer your customers a proven, simple way to protect themselves against car theft and save on their premium.
Collaborative, community effort
Car theft is a complex, widespread issue. It’s one that goes beyond the insurance industry and impacts individuals and society. We welcome the Ontario government’s May announcement of their investment in a multi-pronged approach to combat auto theft. Through targeted measures like Tag, ongoing education and collective prevention and recovery efforts of the industry and all levels of government, we can help all Ontarians keep their vehicles safe.