Deadly Convenience: Keyless Cars and Their Carbon Monoxide Toll

NY Times ^ | 13 May 2018 | David Jeans and Majlie De Puy Kamp

[oh8eleven]

On a summer morning last year, Fred Schaub drove his Toyota RAV4 into the garage attached to his Florida home and went into the house with the wireless key fob, evidently believing the car was shut off. Twenty-nine hours later, he was found dead, overcome with carbon monoxide that flooded his home while he slept.

“After 75 years of driving, my father thought that when he took the key with him when he left the car, the car would be off,” said Mr. Schaub’s son Doug.

Mr. Schaub is among more than two dozen people killed by carbon monoxide nationwide since 2006 after a keyless-ignition vehicle was inadvertently left running in a garage. Dozens of others have been injured, some left with brain damage.

[AlaskaErik]

Or maybe auto-shutoff when the fob is more than ten meters from the steering column? (I picked 10m because that’s already the nominal Bluetooth range...)

That's over 30 feet. My wife puts here keys on the counter that's maybe 10 or 12 feet from the front bumper. Some people even leave their fob in the vehicle itself.

[null and void]

Hey, I haven’t had a car with a pull choke in quite a while!

[Yaelle]

You’re lucky. I only have three sons. I love them so much I wish I had more.

[sheana]

It’s not that I mind the politics....otherwise I wouldn’t be on FR. it’s just everywhere I look, even on stuff that has absolutely no bearing on politics, someone brings it in. It’s not just here so you’re not the only one guilty of it. Hope you have a wonderful day. 🤪

[null and void]

Only had one car with a hand crank option...

[null and void]

Finally! Something I haven’t had!

[AlaskaErik]

Keyless cars are an optional extra. Those who are really concerned about their ability to remember that the car is still running, shouldn’t pay for the keyless option.

They are not necessarily an option. Some cars come with keyless ignition on all trim levels. Others on upper trim levels. Pretty soon all vehicles will be keyless. It's just the way this feature is trending.

[dragnet2]

Ah...I was referring to useless whizzbang garbage, such as push button keyless ignitions nowadays, which are unnecessary stupid garbage to begin with. I was not talking about the invention of electricity or automatic transmissions which were needed, wanted and worked well and did not kill their owners while sleeping.☺

This is not too complex.

[TexasGator]

“Finally! Something I haven’t had!”

My father had a jeep back in the days that I learned how to drive on. I couldn’t reach the pedals. He just put it in double-low and first gear and away I went!

[AlaskaErik]

Keyless ignition is wonderful if you live in a cold climate and your car is parked outside. Start it up remotely from the comfort of your home a few minutes before you have to leave, drink a cup of coffee, then head off to work in a warm car with defrosted windows.

Remote starting has nothing to do with keyless ignition. My two keyed vehicles have factory remote start that turns on the A/C or heat and the heated seats. My wife's keyless ignition car has no remote start capability from the factory. She had to have her remote start installed when she bought the car. And it only starts the car. It doesn't turn on the A/C or heat or heated seats.

[TexasGator]

" I was not talking about the invention of electricity or automatic transmissions which were needed, wanted and worked well and did not kill their owners "

Yea but electric start and automatic transmissions allowed women to drive leading to many more deaths and deterioration of men as head of the family.

(/ s)

[dragnet2]

If you still have to carry around a key fob, then what’s the purpose of it being keyless?

LOL! It's so they can jack up the prices on the cars the morons just bought who think having the latest whizzbang gizmo is cool.

[null and void]

I haven’t driven a standard since I was a teenager. Lol

I'm driving one now. It's the ultimate Millennial Anti-Theft Device! LOL!

[dragnet2]

Uh huh...

[AlaskaErik]

At least that didn’t happen after you dropped her off at the airport. That’s why I always take my own fob if I go somewhere.

[null and void]

I keep my fob on my belt so no way I can lock my keys in the car!

Oh right. Like you've never left your pants in the car.

[Tallguy]

Almost.

[null and void]

That’s not a 500-D, they don’t have a * or a #/R option!

[TexasGator]

“Though if you really are a key-head, you can still extract a traditional metal key from your fob (people are always amazed when I show them this). “

The ‘metal key’ in my fob will only unlock the door.

[TexasGator]

The rotary dial no longer works on modern systems. Retro phones have push buttons on the dial.