Car Lockout Prevention Tips

Car lockouts are not as uncommon as you might think especially with the increased distraction caused by our smartphones. Getting your keys locked out in the trunk while you are grocery shopping or getting back home tired from work. Locking your keys inside the car is something that almost everyone will experience at least once in their life. It is very frustrating when it happens and can cause some inconvenience, but there are some preventative steps you can take in order to greatly reduce your chances of getting locked out. A quick note to keep in mind is that if you locked out your keys inside the car with a child inside then the best thing to do is to call 911 right away. Fire department will either try to unlock the door like a locksmith would do or they might just break the window in order to save the child inside.

Lock Your Car Using the Key Fob

Getting in the habit of using your key fob/remote to unlock your car will help you reduce the chances of getting your keys locked inside the car. If you use the lock button on the side of your door to lock your doors as you are getting out of your car then there is a good chance you will lock the keys inside the car especially if you have a push to start car because the key fob might fall out of your pocket without you noticing it. Another would be that you take the keys out of the ignition and put it on the sit trying to send a text or grab something from the car before exiting and so if you lock the doors using the lock button on the door then you will lock your keys inside the car. Also try to get in the habit of checking your pocket to make sure your keys are there before you lock all the doors. This method works even if you have manual keys without remote so try to get in the habit of double checking.

Check for Low Battery Signal From the Key Fob

Smart key fobs will not work to lock or unlock your car unless it has battery power so it will be smart to change out the batteries as soon as the red light comes on. If there is no power then the fob will not unlock your car so you will not be able to get inside your own car. The fob often times will work to start the car especially if you have to insert the fob into a slot in your car. It is also important to keep in your mind that every smart key fob has an emergency metal key inside it therefore you can use that metal key to manually open the doors of your car. Another way to mess up your smart remote is by damaging it because once the chip inside the fob is damaged it will not work to lock/unlock the car as well as it will not work to start your car. Damaging the chip inside your fob or key will not allow you to start your car even if it’s a keyed ignition and nothing is wrong with the metal portion of your key.

Spare Yourself the Headache and Get a Spare MadeMost people do not care to have spare keys, but what they don’t know is that spare keys will save them a ton of time and money. Getting a spare key can be as cheap as 45 dollars, but trying to get a key made from scratch once you have lost all your keys will be 165 dollars even for the most standard and easy to make key models. Plus if you have a spare key you will avoid paying 65-85 dollars for an emergency lockout call! There are many benefits of having spare keys so if you do not have spare keys you should consider calling your local locksmith to get a price and schedule a walk-in appointment to get a spare key made.

Find a Trustworthy Local Locksmith and Save Their NumberIt’s always better to be proactive and save a phone number of a good local locksmith that you have used before or that has 5.0 Google reviews. This way even if you end up locking your keys inside the car then you will be able to call for help from a trustworthy locksmith that will respond immediately. Many locksmiths work 24 hours a day so regardless what time of the day or night it is they will be there to help you. Take the time to do a thorough search for a high quality and affordable locksmith when you are not in an emergency situation and then save their number for future use.