I'm not sure how this is any more related to the cars being keyless vs. keyed, and part of me starts out being less sympathetic to the plight than I probably should be....

Keyless cars left on in garages kill people.

Seems like an easy fix for an auto shutoff if both front seats are unoccupied for more than 5 min or something.

Or just chalked it up to natural selection.

I'm surprised the second car was able to run for 32 hours straight without overheating and dying on its own.

I'm glad no one here has ever forgotten anything, ever.


I only had one push-button start vehicle, a Nissan Altima. The car itself was incredibly quiet...and more than once I did nearly forget to turn it off, or didn't push the button hard enough. The Altima, however, had an 'annoying' but useful feature where a chime would go off if you got out of the car and it was running. The same would happen if you tried to lock the doors with the remote and it was still on. A lot of vehicles don't do that from what I've seen.

I can't say I ever left the thing on in the garage but I could see how it could happen. I'm with the OP though that other than maybe the button not being pressed completely, I don't think this is unique to push-start vehicles...

quote:

Originally posted by xwesler:

I'm with the OP though that other than maybe the button not being pressed completely, I don't think this is unique to push-start vehicles...

I believe it is unique to these vehicles for the simple fact that the "key" for these cars stays in your pocket or handbag and never needs to come out to start the vehicle.

It's very easy to see how this can happen for any number of reasons.

I have enough problems with accidentally pushing the red alarm button on my key-fob when my keys are in my pocket and I lean up against something.

Real wake-up call for me and the dog when the car is in the garage.

Oh, I have 3 CO alarms in my house. I'd hope one of them would catch this.

Another example of the Dominant Entertainment Media Billed As "News" finding another thing over which to throw people into a panic.

The ignition key for my TrailBlazer was clipped to my keyring such that I could remove it. Sure as hell: On two occasions I walked away from that truck, hitting the door locks on the key fob, having left the key in the ignition and the engine running.

But those incidents were outside, in a busy parking lot.

I know modern engines can be pretty quiet, but how the hell do you have a motor vehicle running in a residential garage and not notice it?

A friend of mine mother (85 years old) died she had went to early Church on Saturday during football season. She hurried home to watch the LSU game and drove into her garage and hit the button to close the door and we into her bedroom to watch the game. Then next morning her daughter kept calling her on the phone and when she didn't answer she went to check on her. When she opened the door the heat about knocked her down she ran to her mother's room and there she was dead lying in the bed. She shut the garage door but forgot to turn the car off.

I have had one for 3,000 miles and forgotten twice to press the button. Both times the engine killed when I let the clutch out. Fortunately, my foot was on the brake. It also auto shuts off after 15 minutes. I guess that comes into play if I leave the car in neutral and exit.

After 35 years of driving with a regular key, the fob is an adjustment. With a regular key I had to turn the engine off and take it with me because the house key was on it.

I'm not there yet, but without his hearing aids, my dad can't hear the turn signals, engine running, or most of the warning bells on his new Highlander. Fortunately, it gets parked outside.

Any accidental death is terrible for the families, so please don't think I'm taking the insensitive position of natural selection or being unconcerned with this.

I couldn't help but do a quick search for any historical perspective/study and the very first hit that came up was this one, showing many, many accidental deaths from the same cause circa 1980-1995. Interesting data, especially the spikes towards the north and winter months. Not sure if that's people starting cars before leaving and leaving them on too long or what.

In any event, it's not an issue with keyless ignition in the 80's.

One CDC study.

This chart shows a flat or declining occurrence rate '99-'14

In any event, a news story reminding folks of the danger might help with pointing this out to the elderly as a risk. Though that chart shows prevalence spikes in the middle aged folks. Of course that's from all sources, not just autos.

I've been driving keyless cars since 2010. As long as you keep your key in your pocket the car will alarm if you exit if it is running. If you leave your keys in the car no alarm. I've never left mine running unattended but have gotten out a couple times with it still running.

My SIL has one. Once she stopped at home to change clothes, left the key in her other pants. The car started cuz the key was still in range. But when she got to downtown Chicago, turned it off and locked it, she was done. Had to go home with a friend and get the key to get her car back. I quit thinking keyless starting was cool that moment.

Interesting, a group of gun people blaming an inanimate object vs. human behavior for causing something bad to happen...

I want to be able to lock the car with the keys in the ignition (in my 12 year old pickup, I still have to lock it with the second key I'm carrying.) If I'm stopped at an accident scene, for example, I want to be able to leave the car running. I wouldn't be in favor of an auto shutoff unless you can override it. That said, the "feature" my truck has where it won't let you lock the car with a button with the keys in the ignition is a useful one.

My wife left her car running inside our garage overnight once. Fortunately no bad result.

It was not keyless...it had a normal key. Just just forgot to turn it off! :|

They were discussing this on local talk radio and they said 28 people have died since 2006 due to this.
While sad, 28 people in 12 years is hardly anything to get into a kurfuffle over and forcing car companies to put more costly electronic features on.

I actually prefer the old fashioned key to the smart key.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
Seems like an easy fix for an auto shutoff if both front seats are unoccupied for more than 5 min or something.

Or just chalked it up to natural selection.

I just got a 2018 Lincoln Navigator.

It turns off by itself after a while (maybe 15 minutes?) in park, even if you're sitting in the car with the key. If you're sitting in the car it gives you a 30-second window to tap the brake to cancel the auto shutoff. (Then does it again a little later... and again a little later... etc.)

I have CO detectors in multiple rooms and the garage, both independent battery powered and alarm panel monitored. You often don't get a second chance with these things.

Also, I am planning on getting monitored smokes and COs installed in the HVAC supply plenums, with the alarm panel set to shut down the HVACs if issues are detected. Any advice on equipment is appreciated.