Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) is considering whether it should hand out insurance penalties for drivers who leave their keys or key fobs in a vehicle that gets stolen.

Typically, a stolen vehicle would be covered for insurance purposes under accidental loss or damage under the insurer’s current rules.

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SGI Auto Fund executive vice-president Earl Cameron said that although many motorists end up leaving their keys inside their car by accident, it brought up a debate whether the insurer should penalize those drivers or not.

Cameron also told The Canadian Press that SGI needs to be cautious about punishing individuals who leave their keys in their vehicle for a moment, only to have it stolen. He said that, ultimately, the public insurer wants to advise all consumers that they must never leave their keys behind in their cars.

Any change SGI wants to implement involving a penalty will need legislative approval before it is enforced, Cameron noted.

He added that several other provinces have fines for motorists who leave their keys or key fobs in their vehicles.

Estimates by Saskatoon police suggest that between 60 and 65% of stolen vehicles in the city had the key or key fob inside.


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