CityNews.ca Staff
They sit in your car, silently waiting for something everyone hopes never happens. And chances are you don't even think about them until you need them. They're airbags and the pursuit of the safety devices by thieves is being blamed for the death of Cst. Robert Plunkett in the darkness of a Markham street early Thursday.
Why would anyone want to steal an airbag? The answer is the usual suspect - money. Unscrupulous body shops looking to make a quick buck buy the inflatables from thieves for amounts that can range up to $200. They're then put into cars that have had accidents, often without the owners even knowing. It's a cost cutting measure that plays havoc with safety. Real airbags can cost as much $1,200, leaving the crook with a substantial profit.
They are also remarkably easy to steal.

"It takes a criminal less than three minutes to actually steal an airbag from a vehicle," reveals the CAA's Edyta Zdancewicz. "...It's as simple as just yanking it out and pulling it out."
In Markham alone there have been close to 50 instances of airbag thefts in the last six months. "A lot of us don't realize how prevalent these airbag theft rings are. Since the late '90s it's become a booming black market business," Zdancewicz adds.
And while the crooks are cashing in, it's the vehicle owner that pays the real price. There are different kinds of airbags for different kinds of cars and putting the wrong one in can spell disaster in an accident. Replacing a phony with the real thing can add up to thousands of dollars in repairs.
Here are some ways to ensure you're getting the real thing if you need to get your airbag replaced.
  • Make sure you use a reputable dealer that you trust.
  • Park in areas that are well guarded or watched. Thieves will often go into unattended parking lots to target the kinds of cars they're looking for.
  • Check the receipt for the source of the airbag to make sure it came from a manufacturer or dealer.
  • Check the airbag if possible. It should come out of a sealed package.
  • The trim over the steering wheel and the trim in the interior should be the same colour. If not, you could have a bogus bag installed.
  • Make sure the warning light telling you that an airbag is in the car goes on every time you turn on the ignition. This proves the system is working and that the airbag is properly installed.
  • If you have any doubts, visit your dealer. Don't attempt to troubleshoot or check your suspicions by yourself. Airbags literally explode out of your car at high rates of speed and could injure you.