Keyless Cars and CO

Keyless Cars and CO

Last week, a horrifying scene unfolded when a father and his two young children died from carbon monoxide poisoning in Louisville, Kentucky. According to sources, the family was getting ready for school during the first cold week of the season. The father was said to have started the car in a closed garage so it would be warm for the trip- sadly, that trip to school never happened. A family member found the father and the 3-year-old son dead in the garage, and the 8-year-old daughter unconscious in her seat. She was taken to a local hospital but died the following day from the illness.

This devastating accident is not only spreading awareness regarding the increase of carbon monoxide poisoning incidents in the wintertime but also calling attention to a vehicle feature that has been linked to several carbon monoxide deaths in the past: the keyless ignition.

 

Deadly Risks of Keyless Ignitions

Cars manufactured with keyless ignitions have been exploding in popularity in the last few years. Consumers are tired of fumbling around with bulky key fobs and searching for missing car keys in bags or purses. A push start mechanism that doesn’t require you to have a key in your hand to start or even open the car is ideal for modern day drivers. Yet, this convenience, unlike others, comes with a deadly risk.

As easy as it is for a motorist to start a keyless car, they can just as easily forget to turn it off. In most cases, if a driver forgets to turn off their keyless vehicle, a safety feature is designed to automatically shut off the car when the key fob is out of range. However, if a driver forgets to turn off their vehicle when parking it in a garage, the key fob will most likely never hit a distance that would trigger the shut-off mechanism. Not only will the car continue to run until it’s out of gas, but it will be spitting out harmful amounts of carbon monoxide that can easily seep into houses, killing unsuspecting family members inside.

 

CO…The ‘Silent Killer’

Carbon monoxide (CO) has no odor, taste, or color, and is highly deadly in a short amount of time. Over 430 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning every year in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Known as the ‘silent killer’, CO is most dangerous when people are asleep and completely unaware. Common appliances known for leaking carbon monoxide during use include:

  • space heaters
  • fireplaces and chimneys
  • furnaces
  • gas stoves
  • generators
  • cars
  • leaf blowers
  • snow blowers
  • lawn mowers
  • other appliances that run on gasoline

The Mayo Clinic describes carbon monoxide poisoning as a process by which harmful CO levels build up in the bloodstream, replacing the oxygen cells our body needs to survive. When this occurs, our body can sustain severe and permanent damage to the tissue, heart, and brain. These complications can lead to cardiac arrest, cognitive and neurological disabilities, miscarriages, or even death depending on the length of exposure.

When appliances and vehicles leak carbon monoxide, the gas has to go somewhere. A car parked outside away from the home will allow CO to disperse into the air or to be blown away with the wind. A car parked inside of a garage, however, leaves no room for the gas to escape except into the home through floor/ceiling cracks, pipes, and vents.

 

Why Do Drivers Forget

Telling drivers to ‘just remember to turn off the car’ is not going to help save lives. There are several reasons for why a driver may forget to turn off their vehicle before entering the home, such as:  

  • Deep-Rooted Habits: There are very few people in our country that have only driven keyless vehicles. The majority of drivers that started off with a traditional key you had to turn to start the car and turn to shut off the car. This movement has become a habit ingrained into the lifestyle and muscle memory for millions of motorists. With possibly decades of practice turning a key to drive, taking away the step of reaching for a key can completely change the game.
  • Distractions: Distractions don’t stop once you pull into your driveway. Hustling kids in the house, running groceries through the door, and continuing conversations on a cell phone could all cause a driver to forget to turn off their keyless ignition before they enter the home.
  • Lack of Alerts: A number of keyless cars do not have effective alerts to notify a driver that their car is still running when they put it in park and exit the vehicle. Because these cars are also new and more fuel efficient than older cars, they are practically silent when running in park, eliminating another clue to drivers that their car may still be running.

 

Safety Tips for Keyless Car Owners

Keyless cars are not going to go away despite their dangers. Luckily, owners of keyless ignition vehicles or consumers looking to purchase one can use these safety tips to reduce their risk of carbon monoxide poisoning:

  • Reminders: You won’t remember to turn off your keyless car every time. But forgetting does not have to cost someone their life. Put reminders in your car, garage, and inside your home to prompt you to check that your vehicle is turned off before you enter your home.
  • CO Detectors: Make sure your home has working carbon monoxide detectors to alert you if there are high CO levels in your house.
  • Buy Safe: Newer keyless cars are being made with better safety features, such as an automatic shut off if the car is idle for up to 30 minutes. Research all models for the ones with the most alerts and safety precautions before purchasing a keyless car.
  • Know the symptoms: If you are awake in the home and are experiencing any symptoms such as a dull headache, weakness, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath, confusion, or blurred vision, there may be higher levels of carbon monoxide in your home.
  • Keep the garage open: Never leave a running car in the garage with the door shut. This causes a quick build-up of deadly gas that could easily cause you to become fatally ill.

Keep you and your family safe this winter by educating everyone on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and staying alert when starting and stopping your keyless car.

If you or a loved one has sustained a serious injury or illness this winter, our knowledgeable team at the law firm of Siler & Ingber is here for support. Contact us at 1-877-529-4343 for a free case evaluation today to explore your options for seeking justice.

 

Share this post

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

PROMOTION PERIOD: The Siler & Ingber Mineola MegaStar Contest begins on March 20, 2023 at 12:00 am ET and
ends on May 1, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET.

ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible, a MegaStar must be a legal U.S. resident at least 16 years of age as of date of
Nomination. A Mineola MegaStar is defined as a person who lives or works in Mineola and is admired or idealized for their courage, dedication, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. By participating, Entrants agree to be
bound by the official rules. Sponsors reserve the right to verify and determine eligibility in their sole discretion.

TO PARTICIPATE: During the Promotion Period, Siler & Ingber will accept from the members of the public (herein, the “Nominators”) nominations of Eligible Entrants (Mineola Megastars) who live or works in Mineola. Nominations may be entered by visiting www.nylawnet.com/mineolamegastar and completing the online form and essay submission or by emailing photo and essay to marketing@nylawnet.com during the Promotion Period to receive one (1) entry. Essay must not exceed 500 words. Acceptable essay formats are word documents or pdf ONLY. Nominations submitted without all required information or after the Promotion Period will be disregarded.
Online submissions must be received by May 1, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET to be eligible. All entries become the exclusive property of Siler & Ingber and will not be acknowledged or returned.

ESSAY: During the promotion period, an Entrant can nominate a Mineola MegaStar for the contest by submitting a
photo and essay. The essay must describe why the individual should be chosen as the award winner, including how the individual demonstrates some or all of the following qualifications:

1) an inspiring example to others by helping make Mineola a better place to live (through volunteerism, extra-curricular actives, special projects, giving back, etc.)

2) going above and beyond to aid a friend, family member, stranger or community in a time of need; and/or

3) love of profession and desire, determination and diligence to help outside of normal job responsibilities. The essay must be in English and no more than 500 words. All information provided must be truthful, accurate and complete. An Entrant cannot nominate more than one Hero.

Submitted Materials: Each essay must satisfy all the following submission requirements the Submission


Requirements:

· The essay must be the original creation of Entrant.

· The essay must not portray any recognizable individual without their prior consent, including consent from the
Hero.

· Entrant must either own all rights to the essay or otherwise have the right to submit the essay in the contest and to provide the rights to Sage Surfaces as set forth herein.

· The essay must not infringe any third party’s intellectual property rights.

· The essay may not contain illegal, indecent, obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit content, or otherwise offensive material or inappropriate content such as aberrational behavior, graphic violence, drug abuse, or nudity.

· The essay must not promote bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any group or individual or discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age.

· The essay must be non-defamatory and must not invade any third party’s right of privacy or publicity.

· The essay must otherwise be appropriate for publication or broadcast or display on a general interest website.

By submitting an essay, each Entrant represents and warrants that the essay meets all of the submission
requirements and that the distribution, reproduction, display and any other uses of any part of the essay by Siler & Ingber as permitted herein will not infringe any third-party rights. Each Entrant further agrees to indemnify and hold Siler & Ingber harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, damages, costs, liabilities and causes of action of whatsoever nature that are based upon or arise out of any breach by such Entrant of such warranties or representations made by contestant or of these official rules.

By submitting an essay, Entrant grants to Siler & Ingber a non-exclusive, perpetual, world-wide, royalty-free license (and waives all moral rights in and to the essay) to display or otherwise use the essay in connection with this promotion and as set forth herein. If Siler & Ingber determines, in its sole discretion and at any time during the promotion period, that any nomination violates the submission requirements, is otherwise unsuitable, offensive, or in poor taste, or violates these official rules, Siler & Ingber reserves the right to remove and disqualify the essay. Siler & Ingber retains sole
discretion as to whether any nomination satisfies the submission requirements and the official rules.

WINNER SELECTION: For the entry period, a panel of judges will select potential Mineola Megastar finalists based on the compelling nature of the essay based on the criteria set forth herein. Top 5 entries will be announced on May 10, 2023. We will post the top 5 on social media. Final winner announced May 15, 2023. Award Ceremony for Mineola MegaStar will take place on May 19, 2023.


WINNER NOTIFICATION AND RELEASES: We will attempt to notify potential winners via telephone and/or email. If a potential winner: (a) does not respond within 48 hours of initial notification attempt; (b) is not in compliance with these official rules, (c) does not meet the eligibility requirements, (d) declines the prize, he or she will be disqualified, and an alternate winner will be selected by applying the criteria set forth above.
PRIZES: There is 1 Mineola MegaStar. Winner will receive a $500 Cash Prize.

PUBLICITY AND MARKETING: Submission of a nomination in the contest constitutes permission to Siler & Ingber to use Entrants name, identity, title, likeness, distinctive appearance, physical likeness, image, portrait, picture, photograph (whether still or moving), screen persona, voice, vocal style, statements, gesture, mannerism, personality, performance characteristic, biographical data, signature, social media handles and identities, and any other indicia or imitation of identity or likeness for purposes of advertising and trade, in any medium, without further notice, approval, or compensation, unless prohibited by law.

PRIZE RESTRICTIONS: No transfer, assignment, sale, duplication, cash redemption or substitution of Prize (or portion of Prize) is permitted, except by Sponsors, which reserve the right to substitute a Prize (or applicable portion of Prize) with one of comparable or greater value, as determined by Sponsors. Sponsors are not responsible for and will not replace a lost or stolen Prize or any component thereof. All Prize details are at Sponsors’ sole and absolute discretion. Non-compliance with these Official Rules may result in disqualification and, at Sponsors’ sole discretion, the awarding of Prize to an alternate winner.

VERIFICATION OF OFFICIAL WINNER: ALL PRIZE WINNERS ARE SUBJECT TO ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION BY SPONSORS, WHOSE DECISIONS ARE FINAL AND BINDING IN ALL MATTERS RELATED TO THE CONTEST.

Do I Have A Case

    Skip to content