Keyless ignitions make news
Right now, there are a lot of automotive articles revealing a potential woe of keyless ignitions. The technology introduced in 1998 by Mercedes-Benz and offered by Cadillac 2002 now resides in over half of the new car fleet.
Consumers seem to like the convenience of starting the engine and unlocking/locking doors without fumbling for keys. Simply having the fob in a purse or pocket allows the holder entry and the ability to start the car with the push of a button.
The system seems heartily embraced since certain manufactures, like Mazda, have so-outfitted their entire lineup. I personally ponder its popularity because the fobs accompanying these systems are a bit on the bulky side. I sometimes wonder if the convenience outweighs the inconvenience of carrying something the size of a small banana in my pocket.
But I digress. The woe now coming to light is that some keyless ignition owners fail to turn off the engine before getting out of the vehicle. Apparently, these drivers either don’t know how, or simply forget, to turn off their engines. Per a New York Times report last week, when that failure occurs in a closed garage, carbon monoxide fills the home and kills the occupants.
Depending on the age gap, a new car can be very different than your old car. The keyless ignition feature is one of those very different things. Maybe those who forget to shut off the engine think because they have the “key” (fob) in hand, they think they have stopped the engine, since in the past the only way to get the key out was to have the car in park with the engine off.
Whatever the reason, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned manufacturers that the systems are subject to driver error as early as 2002, and in 2006 suggested a warning that would get a driver’s attention when exiting a vehicle with its engine running.
In 2011, the Society of Automotive engineers called on carmakers to install an “externally audible or visual alert” (beeps or lights) when all doors are closed, the key fob is not present and the engine is still running.
No official agency tracks the number of related deaths, but The Times article identified 28 deaths and 45 debilitating injuries since 2006. Public awareness is part of the solution, giving worthiness to the recent New York Times report, and the many resulting writings on the topic (like this one).
Despite lack of a federal mandate, manufacturers are addressing the problem. I believe they all have some version of chimes or lights that attempt to alert a driver who has exited a vehicle with a running engine or if the fob is left within it. Unfortunately, we are so desensitized to vehicle warning buzzers, which we’ve been hearing for decades, they often don’t register mentally.
Other makes may have similar systems, but my Ford gives two horn honks whenever I exit with the engine running (like when going back in the house to grab my forgotten cell phone) and shuts off the engine after 30 unattended minutes.
It seems like the shutoff feature is a good one, since even though we all know the dangers of carbon monoxide, and a chime may have warned us, people are still dying.
Please remember to push the button when exiting a pushbutton vehicle parked in a garage.
Readers may contact Bill Love via e-mail at precisiondriving@spokesman.com.
Right now, there are a lot of automotive articles revealing a potential woe of keyless ignitions. The technology introduced in 1998 by Mercedes-Benz and offered by Cadillac 2002 now resides in over half of the new car fleet.
Consumers seem to like the convenience of starting the engine and unlocking/locking doors without fumbling for keys. Simply having the fob in a purse or pocket allows the holder entry and the ability to start the car with the push of a button.
The system seems heartily embraced since certain manufactures, like Mazda, have so-outfitted their entire lineup. I personally ponder its popularity because the fobs accompanying these systems are a bit on the bulky side. I sometimes wonder if the convenience outweighs the inconvenience of carrying something the size of a small banana in my pocket.
But I digress. The woe now coming to light is that some keyless ignition owners fail to turn off the engine before getting out of the vehicle. Apparently, these drivers either don’t know how, or simply forget, to turn off their engines. Per a New York Times report last week, when that failure occurs in a closed garage, carbon monoxide fills the home and kills the occupants.
Depending on the age gap, a new car can be very different than your old car. The keyless ignition feature is one of those very different things. Maybe those who forget to shut off the engine think because they have the “key” (fob) in hand, they think they have stopped the engine, since in the past the only way to get the key out was to have the car in park with the engine off.
Whatever the reason, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned manufacturers that the systems are subject to driver error as early as 2002, and in 2006 suggested a warning that would get a driver’s attention when exiting a vehicle with its engine running.
In 2011, the Society of Automotive engineers called on carmakers to install an “externally audible or visual alert” (beeps or lights) when all doors are closed, the key fob is not present and the engine is still running.
No official agency tracks the number of related deaths, but The Times article identified 28 deaths and 45 debilitating injuries since 2006. Public awareness is part of the solution, giving worthiness to the recent New York Times report, and the many resulting writings on the topic (like this one).
Despite lack of a federal mandate, manufacturers are addressing the problem. I believe they all have some version of chimes or lights that attempt to alert a driver who has exited a vehicle with a running engine or if the fob is left within it. Unfortunately, we are so desensitized to vehicle warning buzzers, which we’ve been hearing for decades, they often don’t register mentally.
Other makes may have similar systems, but my Ford gives two horn honks whenever I exit with the engine running (like when going back in the house to grab my forgotten cell phone) and shuts off the engine after 30 unattended minutes.
It seems like the shutoff feature is a good one, since even though we all know the dangers of carbon monoxide, and a chime may have warned us, people are still dying.
Please remember to push the button when exiting a pushbutton vehicle parked in a garage.
Readers may contact Bill Love via e-mail at precisiondriving@spokesman.com.
Right now, there are a lot of automotive articles revealing a potential woe of keyless ignitions. The technology introduced in 1998 by Mercedes-Benz and offered by Cadillac 2002 now resides in over half of the new car fleet.
Consumers seem to like the convenience of starting the engine and unlocking/locking doors without fumbling for keys. Simply having the fob in a purse or pocket allows the holder entry and the ability to start the car with the push of a button.
The system seems heartily embraced since certain manufactures, like Mazda, have so-outfitted their entire lineup. I personally ponder its popularity because the fobs accompanying these systems are a bit on the bulky side. I sometimes wonder if the convenience outweighs the inconvenience of carrying something the size of a small banana in my pocket.
But I digress. The woe now coming to light is that some keyless ignition owners fail to turn off the engine before getting out of the vehicle. Apparently, these drivers either don’t know how, or simply forget, to turn off their engines. Per a New York Times report last week, when that failure occurs in a closed garage, carbon monoxide fills the home and kills the occupants.
Depending on the age gap, a new car can be very different than your old car. The keyless ignition feature is one of those very different things. Maybe those who forget to shut off the engine think because they have the “key” (fob) in hand, they think they have stopped the engine, since in the past the only way to get the key out was to have the car in park with the engine off.
Whatever the reason, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned manufacturers that the systems are subject to driver error as early as 2002, and in 2006 suggested a warning that would get a driver’s attention when exiting a vehicle with its engine running.
In 2011, the Society of Automotive engineers called on carmakers to install an “externally audible or visual alert” (beeps or lights) when all doors are closed, the key fob is not present and the engine is still running.
No official agency tracks the number of related deaths, but The Times article identified 28 deaths and 45 debilitating injuries since 2006. Public awareness is part of the solution, giving worthiness to the recent New York Times report, and the many resulting writings on the topic (like this one).
Despite lack of a federal mandate, manufacturers are addressing the problem. I believe they all have some version of chimes or lights that attempt to alert a driver who has exited a vehicle with a running engine or if the fob is left within it. Unfortunately, we are so desensitized to vehicle warning buzzers, which we’ve been hearing for decades, they often don’t register mentally.
Other makes may have similar systems, but my Ford gives two horn honks whenever I exit with the engine running (like when going back in the house to grab my forgotten cell phone) and shuts off the engine after 30 unattended minutes.
It seems like the shutoff feature is a good one, since even though we all know the dangers of carbon monoxide, and a chime may have warned us, people are still dying.
Please remember to push the button when exiting a pushbutton vehicle parked in a garage.
Readers may contact Bill Love via e-mail at precisiondriving@spokesman.com.
Right now, there are a lot of automotive articles revealing a potential woe of keyless ignitions. The technology introduced in 1998 by Mercedes-Benz and offered by Cadillac 2002 now resides in over half of the new car fleet.
Consumers seem to like the convenience of starting the engine and unlocking/locking doors without fumbling for keys. Simply having the fob in a purse or pocket allows the holder entry and the ability to start the car with the push of a button.
The system seems heartily embraced since certain manufactures, like Mazda, have so-outfitted their entire lineup. I personally ponder its popularity because the fobs accompanying these systems are a bit on the bulky side. I sometimes wonder if the convenience outweighs the inconvenience of carrying something the size of a small banana in my pocket.
But I digress. The woe now coming to light is that some keyless ignition owners fail to turn off the engine before getting out of the vehicle. Apparently, these drivers either don’t know how, or simply forget, to turn off their engines. Per a New York Times report last week, when that failure occurs in a closed garage, carbon monoxide fills the home and kills the occupants.
Depending on the age gap, a new car can be very different than your old car. The keyless ignition feature is one of those very different things. Maybe those who forget to shut off the engine think because they have the “key” (fob) in hand, they think they have stopped the engine, since in the past the only way to get the key out was to have the car in park with the engine off.
Whatever the reason, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned manufacturers that the systems are subject to driver error as early as 2002, and in 2006 suggested a warning that would get a driver’s attention when exiting a vehicle with its engine running.
In 2011, the Society of Automotive engineers called on carmakers to install an “externally audible or visual alert” (beeps or lights) when all doors are closed, the key fob is not present and the engine is still running.
No official agency tracks the number of related deaths, but The Times article identified 28 deaths and 45 debilitating injuries since 2006. Public awareness is part of the solution, giving worthiness to the recent New York Times report, and the many resulting writings on the topic (like this one).
Despite lack of a federal mandate, manufacturers are addressing the problem. I believe they all have some version of chimes or lights that attempt to alert a driver who has exited a vehicle with a running engine or if the fob is left within it. Unfortunately, we are so desensitized to vehicle warning buzzers, which we’ve been hearing for decades, they often don’t register mentally.
Other makes may have similar systems, but my Ford gives two horn honks whenever I exit with the engine running (like when going back in the house to grab my forgotten cell phone) and shuts off the engine after 30 unattended minutes.
It seems like the shutoff feature is a good one, since even though we all know the dangers of carbon monoxide, and a chime may have warned us, people are still dying.
Please remember to push the button when exiting a pushbutton vehicle parked in a garage.
Readers may contact Bill Love via e-mail at precisiondriving@spokesman.com.
Right now, there are a lot of automotive articles revealing a potential woe of keyless ignitions. The technology introduced in 1998 by Mercedes-Benz and offered by Cadillac 2002 now resides in over half of the new car fleet.
Consumers seem to like the convenience of starting the engine and unlocking/locking doors without fumbling for keys. Simply having the fob in a purse or pocket allows the holder entry and the ability to start the car with the push of a button.
The system seems heartily embraced since certain manufactures, like Mazda, have so-outfitted their entire lineup. I personally ponder its popularity because the fobs accompanying these systems are a bit on the bulky side. I sometimes wonder if the convenience outweighs the inconvenience of carrying something the size of a small banana in my pocket.
But I digress. The woe now coming to light is that some keyless ignition owners fail to turn off the engine before getting out of the vehicle. Apparently, these drivers either don’t know how, or simply forget, to turn off their engines. Per a New York Times report last week, when that failure occurs in a closed garage, carbon monoxide fills the home and kills the occupants.
Depending on the age gap, a new car can be very different than your old car. The keyless ignition feature is one of those very different things. Maybe those who forget to shut off the engine think because they have the “key” (fob) in hand, they think they have stopped the engine, since in the past the only way to get the key out was to have the car in park with the engine off.
Whatever the reason, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned manufacturers that the systems are subject to driver error as early as 2002, and in 2006 suggested a warning that would get a driver’s attention when exiting a vehicle with its engine running.
In 2011, the Society of Automotive engineers called on carmakers to install an “externally audible or visual alert” (beeps or lights) when all doors are closed, the key fob is not present and the engine is still running.
No official agency tracks the number of related deaths, but The Times article identified 28 deaths and 45 debilitating injuries since 2006. Public awareness is part of the solution, giving worthiness to the recent New York Times report, and the many resulting writings on the topic (like this one).
Despite lack of a federal mandate, manufacturers are addressing the problem. I believe they all have some version of chimes or lights that attempt to alert a driver who has exited a vehicle with a running engine or if the fob is left within it. Unfortunately, we are so desensitized to vehicle warning buzzers, which we’ve been hearing for decades, they often don’t register mentally.
Other makes may have similar systems, but my Ford gives two horn honks whenever I exit with the engine running (like when going back in the house to grab my forgotten cell phone) and shuts off the engine after 30 unattended minutes.
It seems like the shutoff feature is a good one, since even though we all know the dangers of carbon monoxide, and a chime may have warned us, people are still dying.
Please remember to push the button when exiting a pushbutton vehicle parked in a garage.
Readers may contact Bill Love via e-mail at precisiondriving@spokesman.com.
