Philadelphia police giving away free steering wheel locks to protect your car
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - If you own a Kia or a Hyundai, listen up! The Philadelphia Police Department wants to help you protect your car.
They are giving away free steering wheel locks as part of an effort to try to curb car thefts, which have been on the rise in Philadelphia.
Thefts of Kias and Hyundais in particular, have gone up significantly in recent years. This has been a big problem for vehicle owners and police departments who use resources to catch thieves.
Authorities say the wheel locks are meant to help deter the thefts of the vehicles after a video on social media showed people how to steal them, making them easy targets.
Some videos show thieves, called "The Kia boys," dangerously racing the stolen vehicles.
Kia says criminals are seeking vehicles that are started with a key instead of a fob.
The companies recently unveiled software designed to curb the epidemic of thefts, but so far, it has not solved the problem.
The free steering wheel lock event is happening until 7 p.m. Wednesday in all 21 police districts in Philadelphia.
Anyone interested in receiving a free wheel lock must provide a current registration for their vehicle and a photo ID.
