“Smart keys” are electronic devices that work with push-in
starters on new vehicle models. Instead of putting your key into the ignition,
like in a traditional car, these keys enable the car to operate with the
push of a button. The new way of starting your car may be trendy and exciting,
but it can also come with serious dangers. This is because in an electronic
key, the code needed to start the car is on a computer chip inside, rather
than in the key fob. The invisible code connects to turn the car on, but
it doesn’t always turn the car off. People can often leave their
vehicles running, even if they walk away with the key fob in hand. This
creates two very serious health hazards.
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The first health hazards associated with these smart keys is carbon monoxide
poisoning. This odorless, colorless gas comes from cars and can cause
brain damage or death while catching the victim off guard. If a car is
kept running for a long amount of time, then the carbon monoxide can even
seep into a home connected with a garage. Recently, two people died from
poisoning of this kind in Florida after their inadvertently left their
Mercedes with a keyless ignition running. In traditional cars, the driver
needs to place the transmission in park and turn off the engine to get
the key out of the car. This is a physical reminder that the driver needs
to turn off the car before exiting the vehicle.
Yet with the new push-button ignition systems, the key fob is not necessary
to turn the car off. Auto manufacturers have designed these newer models
so that they can be turned off with a variety of maneuvers. When someone
places the transmission in park, shuts off the engine, or open or closes
the driver’s side door it can turn off the car. Yet each car is
built different, and it is easy for drivers to get out of the car with
the key in hand and still fail to turn off their vehicle. Often, modern
car engines are so quiet that a driver may have no idea that the car is
still on, but carbon monoxide is coming out of the exhaust pipe and polluting
the air every minute that the car is left running. Consumers with smart
keys have also complained that their key fob is so sensitive that simple
jostling it in a purse or pocket can turn the car on. This can lead to
leaking carbon monoxide.
The other danger to these keyless cars is that they lead to
rollaway crashes. This is because the driver can exit the car with the key fob in hand
and the engine off, but leave the car in a gear other than park. This
means that getting out of the car can send it flying off in another direction.
In older cars, you can only remove the metal key if the car is in park.
Now, with push-button ignition this is not the case. The key fob can be
removed while the car is in drive or neutral. The car will then roll with
compliance to gravity, and sometimes this leads to a tragic collision.
According to the NHTSA, the Association has proposed an amendment which
could improve the electronic ignition system and remove some of the dangers
of the electronic ignition system. This new amendment would require that
all cars have an audible warning that would go off if the driver tries
to leave the vehicle with the key before the engine has been properly
shut off. This would remind drivers to assure that the car is turned off
because they head into their house or to the office. While the government
looks into this possibility, the fact is that there are thousands of vehicles
out there without an audible warning system. If you or someone you love
was injured because of carbon monoxide poisoning or a rollover accident
associated with a smart key vehicle, you may want to seek damages for
your pain and medical costs. Talk to a lawyer at our firm today to get
representation in your case!