The Philadelphia Police Department is the only law enforcement agency Brooks has heard of requiring a waiver for wheel locks, devices that he said been “relatively effective” for decades at delaying or stopping car thefts.
“What is [the police department] trying to protect themselves from?” said Brooks. “I’m having trouble envisioning a scenario in which they could be held liable for providing an anti-theft tool to consumers.”
By Beatrice Forman
March 31, 2024
The Philadelphia Police Department is resuming a free wheel lock distribution program for Kia and Hyundai drivers almost a year after having discontinued it over legal liability concerns.
The program — offered by Kia and Hyundai to law enforcement agencies across the United States — is designed to deter break-ins following a nationwide surge in thefts of the car brands sparked by the Kia Boyz Challenge, a viral TikTok trend from 2022 that encouraged users to post videos of themselves stealing the cars with just a screwdriver and USB cord.
Thefts of Kias and Hyundais increased by more than 1000% from 2020 to 2023, according to insurance data collected by Highway Loss Data Institute, a car safety group. The trend exploits a lack of theft protections in turnkey Kia and Hyundai vehicles made before 2022, prompting some insurance companies to blacklist the cars and 17 cities — Philly not included — to sue the car makers over claims that alleged cost-cutting measures created a situation that strains police resources.
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