WINNIPEG -- Auto theft costs consumers, police, insurance companies and governments an estimated $1 billion annually, says a national report that once again branded Winnipeg and Manitoba the car-theft capitals of Canada.

Released yesterday, Statistics Canada's annual auto theft report found each year about 40 people die and another 65 are injured as a result of auto theft incidents.

The report contains auto theft stats from 2007, which were already released in a different StatsCan crime report in July. For the 11th consecutive year, Manitoba had the highest rate of motor vehicle theft in Canada.

The numbers can be a bit misleading, however, because they combine actual thefts and failed attempts.

Winnipeg had 12,548 reported auto theft incidents last year. At 1,714 thefts per 100,000 residents, this gives Winnipeg the highest auto theft rate among Canadian cities.

Abbotsford second

Abbotsford, B.C., is second with a rate of 1,001. The national average is 443.

Winnipeg police saw a 33% decrease in thefts and a 32% increase in failed attempts in 2007.

Despite a 10% drop, Manitoba ranked first among all provinces with a rate of 1,236. The number is 24% higher than it was a decade ago, the report found.

The national rate dropped by 9% last year.

In Canada, the most frequently stolen vehicle was the 1999 Honda Civic SiR two-door for the third consecutive year.