When it comes to vehicle thefts, it is estimated nearly 60 to 65 percent of all stolen vehicles in Saskatchewan have had the key or key fob inside. This has SGI looking at potentially penalizing those who leave their keys in a vehicle which ends up being stolen.

Under the current rules, a stolen vehicle is covered by insurance under accidental loss or damage. There has been a debate started in recent weeks about whether or not it would be wise to punish someone who leaves their keys in a vehicle, but the message still needs to get out about leaving keys in a car.

Weyburn Police Service Chief Marlo Pritchard explained the issue isn’t a new one.

“The conversation has happened in the past, but we're looking at some form of, I guess it would be an encouragement because the public messaging around leaving keys in vehicles does not seem to be changing vehicle owners’ behavior,” he said.

Pritchard pointed out when a vehicle is stolen, it is generally driven in a careless and reckless manner. This adds to just the theft and can result in serious consequences, such as an incident this past week in Saskatoon. A 22-year-old man was driving a stolen vehicle when he was killed in a serious accident while fleeing from police.

Another issue is the reduction of thefts themselves. Many of the newer vehicles can only be started with the key, or the key fob, with the practice of hotwiring a car, made famous in the movies, falling to the wayside.

“Every time there is a technical advance, there is something that’s trying to bypass it, but at this point in time, in a lot of the new vehicles, absolutely, you need the key to get it started,” Pritchard added.

Penalizing drivers isn’t without precedent. In several provinces, there are fines for drivers who leave keys in a vehicle.There are no changes currently being proposed by SGI at this time, and the crown insurer has pointed out any changes involving penalties for those whose cars are stolen with the keys left in the vehicle would require legislative approval.