The price of auto insurance is constantly rising. However, the road safety record is improving. Fewer accidents should mean fewer claims. Normally, insurance customers are supposed to be rewarded when their best behavior reduces the number of claim events.
In the case of automobiles, one more variable must be taken into account: it is obvious that the cost of each claim increases. Dent removal is no longer possible, many repairs either, at the slightest incident, you have to change the whole section, the whole wing, the entire bumper.
A small snag with seemingly insignificant damage will end up costing several thousand dollars to repair. Welcome to the universe of 2023! I am curious to see what Minister Jolin-Barrette will be able to accomplish with his bill to force companies to make their products more repairable.
But today, when talking about my feeling of having been robbed when it comes to car insurance, I am not talking about insurance companies or repairers. I’m talking about the scourge of auto theft.
At first glance, if you haven’t been the victim of car theft yourself, you may feel relieved. With the huge number of these thefts, you may even consider yourself lucky. This is a serious mistake.
You get robbed. Car thieves steal hundreds of dollars from us. The vehicles are basically all insured. It is rarely the minounes who are stolen. Each theft costs the victim’s insurer tens of thousands of dollars. Have you thought about the total bill for insurers? This is a serious part of the increase in our cost of insurance.
a plague
Car thefts have increased by 50% in Quebec between 2021 and 2022. 2023 promises to be even worse!
It became a comedy. The use of the Port of Montreal for example. Everyone knows that the port acts as a hub for vehicle theft. Everyone knows that containers fill up with stolen cars to be shipped to Africa or the Middle East.
When a criminal process is also known and obvious and continues, it is because there is laxity and/or complicity somewhere. If we gave the police the legal means and the operational tools to act, we could quickly ax the networks of criminals involved.
There are insurance
Why is no one taking action? “There’s insurance for that sir!” “Declare that to the insurance madam.” You may have already been told this by the police. They reflect the general thinking of politicians and the judiciary.
This crime is not serious… people are insured! Few investigations, little effort, light sentences, bandits make easy money. Result: networks of petty bandits grow stronger, acquire weapons with this money and become hardened criminals.
And the rest of the population pays increased insurance premiums. A grant to thieves!
Nice mess!