'Sharp decline' in auto theft and reported crashes across province, says ICBC

File photo: Surrey Police Service at the scene of a crash on Jan. 21, 2026. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO /PNG

Article content

New data released by ICBC shows a “sharp decline” in both auto theft and reported crashes across the province in recent years.

Article content

The analysis of Insurance Corp. of B.C. data from the past 10 years also confirms that hybrids are rising in popularity while interest in electric vehicles may have peaked after years of surging sales.

Article content

Article content

Some of the improvements in auto crime statistics in recent years have been considerable, said ICBC in a spring summary of the 10-year data set released on Tuesday.

Article content

Article content

“Auto crime has dropped by 31 per cent in B.C. over the last 10 years,” the province-owned auto insurer said. “Most dramatically, vehicle break-ins have decreased by 60 per cent since 2016, including a noticeable drop starting in 2023.

Article content

Article content

“Stolen vehicle incidents have decreased by 46 per cent since 2016 while vandalism claims have remained relatively stable.”

Article content

ICBC spokesperson Lindsay Wilkins attributed the drop in auto crime to improvements in anti-theft vehicle technologies and an increase in newer vehicles on the road that have those new features.

Article content

It’s also been over two decades since B.C. RCMP started the bait car program and a dedicated auto crime unit that educates people about how to keep thieves at bay. The downward trend in auto crime has roughly coincided with that.

Article content

As for crash statistics, both fender benders and injury crashes remain below pre-pandemic levels despite the fact there are an increasing number of vehicles on the road. ICBC said the drop reflects “lasting changes in driving patterns following the COVID‑19 pandemic and the introduction of enhanced care (no-fault insurance) in May 2021.”

Article content

Article content

Last year, injury crash levels were 21 per cent the pre-pandemic average — from 2016 to 2019 — while all crashes were down three per cent.

Article content

Article content

Vulnerable road users are still at risk as crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists continue to rise since the levels during the lockdowns. However, ICBC said pedestrian crashes — the most common — are still well below pre-2020 levels.

Article content

Crashes involving cyclists have risen consistently since the start of the pandemic and, as of 2025, slightly exceeded pre-2020 levels. Motorcycle crashes have been relatively stable and below peaks seen before the pandemic.

Article content

The most dangerous time for crashes remains during weekday afternoon commute, with Fridays from 3 to 5 p.m. the riskiest time of all.

Article content

Article content

Meanwhile, ICBC’s data confirms the growing popularity of hybrids compared with the once-trendier all-electric vehicle.

Article content

Last year was the first time new vehicle registrations for hybrids were higher than EVs. “While electric vehicle adoption rose quickly in recent years, that growth has slowed,” said ICBC.

Article content

Gas-powered vehicles were being registered at levels below 2020 last year, though overall gas still rules the market. There were 2,814,575 passenger vehicles registered in B.C. in 2025; 235,481 of those were hybrids, while 174,819 were electric vehicles.