In 2007, Canada started requiring all vehicles to have a cheap, effective anti-theft device. The U.S. didn’t. Now, it is paying the price with a surge in Kia and Hyundai thefts.

    • SeaJ@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      In what people call the greatest nation in the world, thousands of regulators simply never thought of the idea of an immobilizer which is something that was already available on a lot of cars. Sure.

      More likely is that auto manufacturers bitched that it would make cars too expensive and it should be voluntary while donating to some legislators campaign.

      • Fosheze@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        To be fair, immobilizers were standard at the time. Every manufacturer was already using them because using an immobilizer is just common sense. So making a law requiring them to use immobilizers would be like making a law requiring people to wipe their asses. It would have just been seen as useless because everyone is already doing it and who in their right mind would suddenly just stop wiping their ass. It’s only fairly recently that kia and huandai have suddenly lost their minds and decided to walk around with shit covered asses. Also from what I’ve seen every judge that has looked at the issue is already ruling against them because not including an imobilizer is so willfully stupid that it’s gross negligence.

      • Weslee@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        They probably wanted to make it an add-on charge that they could add 1000% markup on

        • Pretzilla@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Well they still could, but that would invite attention and regulation.

          Maybe they don’t mind them stolen so their customers take the insurance payout and buy a new one.

      • Blamemeta@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        No, every other car maker has them, has had them for decades.

        Its like not putting a padded seat in your car. Its so stupid that you wouldnt even think to make a law about it.