New York, 7 Apr. New York Mayor Eric Adams announced today that the city will join a nationwide lawsuit against automakers Kia and Hyundai for failing to have anti-theft technology, which has led to a spike in car thefts.
According to a statement from the mayor, the lawsuit is intended to “hold the two companies accountable for refusing to equip certain models of their cars with anti-theft measures.”
Several cities in the US have been affected by a wave of theft of Kia and Hyundai cars since a challenge was posted on the Tik Tok network in August last year.
The challenge encourages the theft of the models of these two brands that do not have an immobilizer and shows how to do it using a USB cable and a screwdriver. The video has gone viral.
The National Traffic Safety Administration reported that at least 14 crashes and eight deaths have occurred as a result of this challenge.
Mayor Adams noted that because cars that are stolen don’t have enough anti-theft devices, the city faced an 890% increase in Kia thefts at the end of last year and a 766% increase in Hyundai in the months prior. .
“We are not going to stand idly by while automakers turn a blind eye to safety and make it easy for criminals to take advantage of New Yorkers,” he said.
For his part, the city’s legal director, Hinds Radix, stressed that a public safety crisis in the city is escalating due to the “irresponsible business practices” of Kia and Hyundai.
He stressed that those who commit these robberies often use the cars for other crimes, such as reckless driving or robberies. “This is a big concern for us, and we are taking steps to end it,” he said.
