Keyless Ignitions are Dangerous

 Posted on January 06, 2016 in General

By Robert Geimer

Nineteen people are dead with many other close calls as the result of keyless ignition systems found in many new cars, according to the safety group KidsAndCars.org.  As reported by NBC News, drivers are inadvertently pulling into garages and leaving their vehicles with the key fobs but with engines still running.  This has led to carbon monoxide poisoning and death.  The problem is that most of us are used to only being able to take the key out of the ignition after the engine is turned off.

The auto industry abruptly changed this with the introduction of keyless fobs, where a driver can, by habit, leave the vehicle with the key (fob) but the engine can be left running and spewing carbon monoxide into the garage and residence.  Though the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration identified this as a “clear safety problem” in 2011, nothing has been done about it.  Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania is pushing for a solution to the problem and deserves our support.  In the meantime, if you drive a car with a keyless ignition, remember to always manually turn the engine off before leaving the vehicle.