NOTES FOR A SPEECH BY
HON. LAWRENCE CANNON, M.P., P.C.
MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE
AND COMMUNITIES
AT RIVERMEAD PARK-AND-RIDE
AYLMER, QUEBEC
SEPTEMBER 6, 2007
Dear friends,
When I was a municipal councillor, I became aware of the extent of the problems associated with vehicle theft. I even called for measures to be taken, similar to those I am announcing today.
Many Canadians can relate to the problem of vehicle theft and vandalism.
According to Statistics Canada, in 2006 alone, over 160,000 vehicles were stolen in this country. That translates into more than 435 vehicles every day. And in the Ottawa-Gatineau region alone, vehicle break-ins averaged around 5,000 incidents per year, over a 5-year period.
Despite advances in technology, the criminals are persistent. The good news however is that this trend is slowing down significantly, as our government is taking steps to make sure that vehicle thefts continue to decrease.
We are doing this by making anti-theft immobilizers mandatory on all new light duty vehicles sold in Canada. The new regulatory amendment to the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations came into force on September 1, 2007.
The car you see behind me is equipped with such an immobilizer device — one of the many models currently available with an anti-theft immobilizer.
Statistics tell us that, unfortunately, many auto thefts are committed by young people. Vehicle theft is troubling not only because of the nature of the crime itself, but also because it can lead to injuries and fatalities, particularly when the theft is committed by an inexperienced driver.
A study done for Transport Canada by the National Committee to Reduce Auto Theft showed that between 1999 and 2001, the theft of vehicles by young offenders led to an average of 27 fatalities and 117 injuries each year.
These are indeed sobering numbers, but we can reduce them. There can be no question that the facts justify the action our government has taken to protect the safety and security of all Canadians.
Our studies have shown that an average of 244 to 345 serious injuries can be prevented and 11 lives saved — every year — as a result of immobilization systems.
Currently, the majority of stolen vehicles are older models that do not have anti-theft immobilizers onboard. About 80 per cent of new vehicles sold in Canada are already equipped with the devices, and as a result, there has been a decrease in the number of thefts of these vehicle models.
Our government is taking measures to prevent vehicle theft, as we believe that we can further reduce the numbers and help create safer communities.
Thank you.
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