Baltimore County's anti-theft event draws Hyundai owners with security concerns
BALTIMORE -- Hundreds of people took advantage of Hyundai's anti-theft event at M&T Bank Stadium over the weekend.
The purpose of the three-day event, which kicked off on Friday, was to equip Hyundai owners with the tools necessary to protect them from potential thieves.
The owners of Kia and Hyundai vehicles have been targeted by thieves after a social media craze highlighted a vulnerability in certain models, showing how to start vehicles without a key.
Many vehicles can be stolen in less than 60 seconds. Baltimore County Police say that this year Kia and Hyundai thefts and attempted thefts account for more than 60% of their automobile thefts.
The high number of victims in the Baltimore area has prompted law enforcement officials to push back against the crime trend by providing Hyundai owners with an extra layer of protection.
Holly Hobbs said she attended this weekend's event because she wanted to avoid becoming a victim again.
"They tried to steal my car already, and because I drive a manual, they couldn't drive it after they broke and ripped out my ignition and then walked away," Hobbs said.
People are targeting certain models of vehicles, which can be easily hot-wired and stolen.
That's why the Baltimore County Police Department has partnered with Hyundai partnered together to provide anti-theft software upgrades.
In addition to the free upgrade, each car owner was offered a steering wheel lock as an extra layer of security.
"It's great because I keep forgetting to go down to the police station and get a club," Hobbs said.
No appointment is needed to participate in the anti-theft event, and there is a heated mobile lobby to keep people warm.
"It only takes about 12 to 10 minutes for that software package to go down into the car," Dave VandeLinde, vice president of after-sales for Hyundai Motor America, said. "After we complete the software update, we put stickers on the outside of the vehicle on the two glass windows in the front of the vehicle that let any kind of would-be thief know that this vehicle now has an immobilizer."
The whole process takes about 30 minutes.
"It was a very quick, easy process," Hyundai owner Bruce Watson said.
Sunday is the last day of the event. It runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
According to the Maryland Department of Transportation, there are more than 200,000 registered Hyundai owners in Maryland and 12,000 of those registered owners live in Baltimore.
Earlier this year, Baltimore joined cities across the country in suing car manufacturers Hyundai and Kia, blaming hundreds of car thefts in the city this year on the companies' alleged cost-cutting measures.