Uses cellular technology, human trackers to find cars
Laura Payton
Province
Martin Trochez demonstrates how the LoJack Vehicle Recovery System, now available in B.C., can help find a stolen vehicle in a Vancouver underground parking lot. RIC ERNST — THE PROVINCE
A device that uses cellular technology to track stolen cars is now available in B.C,
The LoJack, already in use in Quebec and Ontario, is a small radio transceiver that allows your vehicle to be traced.
“It’s about the size of a chalkboard eraser,” said Craig Armstrong, general manager of Boomerang, the company that distributes LoJack in B.C.
“It’s a device that’s hidden in your vehicle . . . in one of about 20 or 30 spots, depending on the type of vehicle that you have, so that thieves do not know that there’s something hidden in the car.”
A car is stolen every half-hour in B.C., according to the Insurance Corp. of B.C. Calculated per person, that’s two and a half times the theft rate in Toronto.
But while Armstrong says the trend elsewhere is to strip cars for parts or ship them overseas, B.C.’s thieves still mainly use the cars for short-term transportation or to commit other crimes, said Kate Best of ICBC.
“We’re dealing with a bit of a different auto-crime problem than they see in other parts of Canada,” she said. “Generally speaking, about 90 to 95 per cent of stolen vehicles in B.C. are recovered.”
Best said most cars are found within a week.
ICBC suggests using an engine immobilizer to prevent the theft in the first place. They cost between $200 and $300.
The LoJack costs $699. After one year, there is an additional $12-a-month service fee.
For another $200, the company sells a key fob device. If the car moves without the fob being swiped, the company phones the owner.
Each time your car is stolen, the bill for tracing it and recovering it is $250.
When The Province tested the LoJack, the car was parked three levels down in the Pacific Centre to minimize the cellular signal.
The trackers found it in 20 minutes by looking at which cell tower last transmitted the car’s location and the direction in which it was transmitting. Then they drove around the area looking for the vehicle in underground parkades.
“Undergrounds are definitely more difficult,” said Bruce Funk, a tracker for LoJack and expert in cellphone security. “You just need to have more patience.”
ICBC advises prevention methods like investing in a good anti-theft device, not leaving anything inside your car and parking in well-lit areas. It also has a list on its website for most-stolen vehicles. The 1994 Dodge Caravan and 1995 Honda Civic top the list.
© The Vancouver Province 2007
