Over half of the vehicles
manufactured in 2015 come equipped with keyless ignitions, as they are now
becoming a standard feature in vehicles. But in some cases, this feature has
turned out to be a silent killer.
Almost four years ago, the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) posted a public notice
saying vehicles equipped with keyless ignitions pose a “clear safety problem.”
The federal agency cited carbon monoxide poisoning as a significant concern for
drivers who mistakenly leave their cars running in a garage or other enclosed
space. Because many new vehicles have extremely quiet engines where you can’t
tell that the car is on, this could happen more easily.
According to a Scripps News
review, there have been 13 known deaths linked directly to carbon monoxide
poisonings from keyless ignitions. One case involves a college professor who
was unfortunately killed when he inadvertently left his car running. The
victim’s son said he recalled his father saying the car would shut off
automatically if the key fob was removed from the vehicle, or so he thought. In
another case, someone also left his Chrysler 300C running in the garage, and
the deadly fumes even traveled three floors up and seeped into the victim’s
bedroom, where he died in his sleep of the carbon monoxide poisoning.
Federal regulations require
cars with a regular key to shut down if it is removed from the engine, but
there is nothing to protect drivers of keyless ignition cars, which can keep
running after a driver walks away.
NHTSA has proposed loud
warning alarms to go off if a driver mistakenly leaves a car running after
leaving the vehicle. The proposal would be for an alert of at least 85 decibels
if the key fob is removed from the car while the engine is still on. The NHTSA
said it would be a minimal cost for automakers, yet many automakers have argued
against the proposal. In a 2012 public comment, Nissan said the alerts proposed
by the NHTSA are “too loud and may interfere with the driver responding to the
alert in an orderly manner.”
Scripps News asked 12 car
manufacturers if they intended to implement auto shut-off devices for any
current or older models on the road. Chrysler was the only company to respond,
but said it is up to drivers to properly shut their cards off as per the
instructions in their owners’ manuals. Regardless, if you own a vehicle with a
keyless ignition, be cautious about storing it inside your garage and make sure
the engine is turned off before getting out of the car.
The NHTSA expects to issue a
final rule on the subject in February 2016.
If
you or someone you know has been involved in a car crash or truck accident in
Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor,
Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield,
Waterford or any other city in Michigan, make sure to contact Motor City
Accident Attorneys by calling 1-800-411-PAIN. Motor City Accident Attorneys
know how stressful a car accident can be and want to help you get back on your
feet. They will fight tirelessly for your rights and help you get the
compensation you deserve, according to your specific case. Make sure to follow
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