I’m a fairly young MD and can’t figure out if my keyless car is on or not half the time. My car is so quiet and the electronics are so advanced it’s hard for me to say. I don’t know why cars are designed this way. It’s so sad this should cost people their lives. Surely we can do better than this? Maybe even as an optional accessory?
179
I feel bad for this couple. But if they lacked the mental capacity to turn their car off, they should not have been driving. My mom just retired from driving. These are difficult decisions. But we should not be blaming the auto companies.
28
This is a tragedy, but if these people were REALLY smart, they would have bought an electric vehicle: no gas, no combustion, no emissions, no carbon monoxide.
16
@Astrochimp you do know that electricity is mostly generated from coal or liquid natural gas, not smiles and rainbows, right?
79
@Astrochimp No, if they were REALLY smart, they would have had carbon monoxide detectors in their home, as current code requires for dwellings with attached garages or fuel-powered appliances...
59
Its not really about being "dumb" or "smart".
Recently I had a keyless rental car while my car was in the shop. It took me almost a week to retrain my brain
that just having my car keys with me did not mean
my car had been shut off. Fortunately, I was aware of this
because of your earlier articles about keyless cars.
89
Did they have a carbon monoxide detector in their home? I thought they were required.
15
@Deborah Shattuck Umm... obviously not. Required in newer construction, but no idea how old their home was.
2
I'm struggling to understand the chemistry. Here in the Antipodes, like in Europe, our cars use unleaded fuel and have catalytic converters. Cars with catalytic converters exhaust CO2, not poisonous CO. In additional to stopping harmful lead emissions in our environment, the introduction of unleaded fuel has also resulted in the number of suicides from people gassing themselves in cars being close to nil - because it doesn't work anymore.
Last time I hired a car in the USA, my recollection was that it took unleaded gas; but based on all the comments here about poisonous CO in car exhaust, maybe I'm wrong.
It's extremely sad that this couple died, but I suspect there's some details lacking in this NYT article.
2
@Kevin - Yes, you're wrong. ANY gasoline or diesel powered vehicle produces CO. More modern cars produce less, but still enough to kill. If these folks left the car running in their closed garage overnight, they were DOA by morning.
38
Actually I used to do this frequently when I bought my first keyless vehicle. I would get out and try to lock the car with my gizmo. But if the engine is still on (and its very quiet), the door wouldn't lock (no loud beeps).I would then go back in to switch of the car. This is a mistake anyone can make not just older people.
162
Just because the car has no key does not mean its silent. And while CO is odorless, gasoline is not. They might have been brilliant in their prime, but honestly, it is nearly impossible to not notice that your car is running. They were just too old to have that car, and likely any car. I do feel bad for them, but don't blame the auto industry for the failings of the elderly to know when they are too old to drive or own a car.
11
I read the Times article last year and decided to test my 2017 Honda Accord to see what would happen. I left my car running in my backyard and did hear 3 beeps (which I did not feel were loud enough for me to really have me take notice). The car continued to run over a half hour. Since my garage is attached to my home the test prompted me to immediately purchase a carbon monoxide detector for my garage to supplement the carbon monoxide detectors that are already in my home. Key or no key I find it hard to believe that any car would remain running continuously with no auto shut off in this day and age.
120
THEN WHY ARE PEOPLE LEAVING THEIR CARS IDLING EVERYWHERE?
I live in Minnesota, and when it's cold, I can see warming up the interior for a brief time - maybe 5 minutes, but I have seen cars left in parking lots at grocery stores, parking ramps - building up the exhaust, buses left idling and unattended while the driver is getting something to eat. And then if I ask them why, and they come up with things like "It's a diesel" (meaning you keep it running 24 hours a day?), or the police say that the computer will "run down the battery" (then turn it off - we have modern computers with a DISK DRIVE), and then generally it seems a pastime for people to just sit in the car no matter if the weather outside is perfect and idle while they are occupied with their phone. WE ALL HAVE TO BREATH THE SAME AIR (or lack of it), and this couple should be our example that the exhaust is not as safe as we act like it is.
37
A tragic story, but it could have been prevented if they had a carbon monoxide detector in the house. EVERYONE should have a carbon monoxide detector in their home.
Over the decades, I've read many similar accounts where someone forgot to turn off their car which used a conventional ignition key. The keyless system just makes it more likely to occur.
29
You would think that the car would turn off once it figures out there's nobody in the car. It already figures out when to turn the airbag on and off. Why not hook that up to the ignition?
49
My father, a very bright (MIT grad) and capable 92 year old, recently bought a "key-less" car. After a brief experience with it, he gave up driving. It was just too anti-intuitive for him; it made him realize he may now be too old to drive.
17
Sorry but NO 92 year old is capable of driving. NONE. That’s just biology - and common sense.
17
@SusanWe bought a 2015 keyless car for the use of an aged relatives aides and family helping her. Our family has been fine with it. Her aides, even tho shown how to use the ignition etc, not so much. One, a respected and not elderly schoolteacher, could not manage the thing at all, and kept having to call us after things like locking the fob in the car- which you ALSO are not supposed to be able to do, but on this and a Mazda a family member owns, can. Indeed, be locked in, with the driver out of the vehicle.
We inherited the VW, we will be buying a CO2 detector for our under the house garage!
8
@Jaye Talk about stereotyping... There are people that I know at this age that are just fine. Just because many shouldn't drive doesn't mean ALL are unable.
59
Such a horrible thing to see. An elderly female patient is now in long term care with severe anoxic brain damage. The condition is permanent, and essentially untreatable. Her husband was luckier in my opinion, because he died. They didn't know the car was on.
37
"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which oversees the auto industry, proposed a rule for keyless vehicles in 2011 mandating a one-second audible external warning to drivers to turn off the ignition. The rule would cost the auto industry $500,000 a year, according to an agency estimate." Really? Sounds like "How to lie with statistics." I have a hard time believing that it would cost more than $15 for an automobile company to have the person in the Philippines who writes their computer codes for them to do what's necessary. I'm guessing that it won't cost them anything; they'll probably make him work overtime without pay,
33
Why is an 88 year old man driving anyway?
10
@Michigan Girl
Very good point. Once you get into upper 80’s and above, you tend to forget more than turning off a car ignition, especially with a quiet engine that you can’t hear with perhaps diminished hearing.
6
@Michigan GirlWhy not? Is there a cut off YOU would impose? Many people in rural areas have no choice BUT to drive, at even older ages, and do it well. Yes, we have less traffic, but longer drives, cows, tractors, and dirt roads. We have ZERO public transportation, no grocery store, no doctor, no clothing store, etc. We have no Uber, Lyft, etc, in case our rural elderly could afford it.
Don't be ageist, perhaps one day you will suffer the joys and indignities of being elderly, and learn to think.
130
I remember reading an article about the brain science behind forgetting, then remembering routine tasks throughout the day. Similar to people who accidentally leave their infants in a hot car on the way to work, our brains do not factor in deadliness of error with these daily lapses of memory that occur despite intellect or potential for catastrophic outcome. In other words these results will continue to happen randomly to anyone, ever, as a matter of brain science and research; so effective safeguards must be built in always. I wish I had the article to link...it was quite compelling.
22
Every car we own has keyless ignition. We won't buy a car without it. We hated fumbling around trying to find a key especially if our hands are full. If this feature bothers you so much just use the manual key that's part of the keyless fab.
3
@Pecos Bill
News flash Bill, not all keyless ignition cars HAVE a manual key.
39
@Pecos Bill the transmitter is still required to start the car; manual keys will only open the doors
18
Fix the car. That's pretty simple. However, can we please begin to evaluate why we don't do re-evaluations for drivers licensees as people move into old age and begin to lose some motor skills and vision? It certainly seems like a common sense way to make sure that older drivers are secure.
25
When the battery runs down in the key fob you have to know to stick it in the dash and use the handy dandy key provided to open your locked car. Then you have to figure out where to find a battery and how to install it. That's how the Prius we had worked. Both rigs we have now have keyless unlock/lock but you have to put an actual key in the ignition switch. It makes more (boomer) sense and still provides the safety of keyless locking.
4
@Richard wiesner
This is slightly off topic but I just bought a keyless car. It has a small key imbedded in the fob so you can get into the car if the fob battery goes dead but no way to start the car once in there with a dead fob. The dealer said I'd just have to find a way go get a new battery for the fob. The image of being stuck somewhere bothers me. A problem in need of a simple solution! Have a key ignition installed for those little keys in the fob or ways to enter a code to start the car etc.
Come on people.
12
Why not a CO detector connected to an engine kill switch in all cars? That would also prevent the car from being used for suicide, whether inside a garage or outside. Seems just as simple as installing circuitry that makes things beep. (Besides, a 90-year-old might not hear an audio alert.)
27
This is very sad. My keyless vehicle honks at me if I leave it running and get out for any reason. It's a good safety feature.
26
The answer is proper smoke/carbon monoxide detectors in homes and garages. They're inexpensive and in many states required.
If you have a garage that is attached to your home, especially one that is under living space...spend a few bucks and protect you and your family.
15
I've had keyless ignition for a while now, and if I don't turn off the engine and open the door, the car practically screams at me with the bells, warnings, etc.
12
These very smart people would be alive today if they chose to own a Tesla. No emissions; no dependence on foreign oil AND the car is made in America. If the Tesla is too expensive carbon monoxide alarms are currently being sold on Amazon with a price range of $20-50.
9
@Maureen At $40K+ for a Tesla, they are out of reach for many people.
11
@Maureen The Toyota Avalon is assembled in Georgetown, Kentucky. As to the Tesla, it is hard to get, and living as I do in the state that put the world on wheels, I advise you not to buy a new vehicle unless it's been in production for a couple years.
21
It is pathetic to see so many comments here blaming the victims. All those poor people did was get out of the car and forget to push a button because they spent their lives turning a key to shut off the car engine, and there is no longer a key. That simple mistake should not lead to their death, but it did.
I bought my first keyless ignition car in January and have been amazed at how many times I have forgotten to push the button to shut off the car. It is easy to do, especially if you are distracted (and who isn't from time to time).
We are in a transition period between generations like mine who always used a key to turn off the car engine, and a new generation that will not remember when or why keys were even needed. Until we leave this transition period, car manufacturers need to adopt very simple and inexpensive automatic safeguards to ensure the car engine shuts off, even if (when) my generation forgets to hit the button and shut it off.
237
Does the gear shift have to remain on the steering column, because that’s where it used to be? Should all the windows automatically roll down after xx minutes, so they don’t suffocate because there’s no crank anymore? Does the radio antenna need to go back outside on the hood to remind you not to leave your radio on and therefore drain your battery? This is not about blaming the victim. It’s a bigger issue than that. I’m all for as much safety as possible within reason. These people should not have been driving, period. It’s called taking responsibility for ones’s own actions, instead of constantly looking to blame someone else for not taking responsibility for you.
7
@Jaye
I'd be interested to see the ages of the other 30 or so people who have died in the same manner this couple did. I bet they were not all in their 80's.
Jaye, 36 people have died so far with this issue, At a certain point new innovations get tested out in the field in real life situations and adjustments and improvements are needed- hence recalls and innovations. If 50 people fall over a cliff by accident its smart and prudent to put up a fence.
37
@Jaye. It wasn't the driving that killed them.
It was the stopping.
And the disgraceful failure of car makers to install cheap interlocks to prevent such things.
Blame the proper people here, Toyota and the rest.
63
If you leave the car running with the key in your pocket, unless you have door open, you get alarms. These people must be used to just leaving the key in the cup holder at home. Probably a function of having a secure garage, since you cannot lock a new car with key inside the car. If you always take the key, I don’t think this problem can happen. I have never lived anywhere that was so safe that I could leave keys in unlocked car.
4
WHY do we even need “keyless” ignition? What was so inconvenient about keys? You still need a fob of some kind to start the car. So, I don’t really see any reason to have gotten rid of keys.
73
Just more convenient not to have to take keys out of purse/bag/pocket when opening the car door or starting the vehicle. Not to have to use a key or even type in a code to unlock the door is especially convenient when you are carrying stuff.
7
Proud Luddite here. If you're too stupid, or forgetful, to use and retain KEYS, then maybe you shouldn't be driving. This keyless " feature " is a terrible idea, and certainly a huge money maker for the Manufacturers.
But, what's the point ??? Obviously, more trouble than it's Worth.
Seriously.
42
doors from garages to homes are supposed to be sealed fire doors and garages are supposed to be well ventilated. gas sensors are also mandated. seems to me the house and their negligence killed them not the car.
5
My house was built prior to 1910 - it doesn’t have those features. Not everyone lives in modern housing!!
21
As of March 2018 the majority of states have enacted statutes requiring carbon monoxide detectors in homes. Florida has had this on their books since 2008. If no upgrades have happened in a home, there may be no working smoke detectors, let alone a smoke/carbon monoxide detector upgrade.
Being conscious of turning off a car when exiting requires some thought or formed habit. My car reminds me and I respond accordingly. Maybe a phone app is essential to inform some car owners, since a 'ding' from a phone is more likely to elicit a response.
5
@M. Musinski
Carbon monoxide detectors are cheap and readily available right now.
6
If you don't "get" or understand how to live better with the new safety tech available from Detroit you might consider turning in your driver's license to the nearest authority and start walking.
Today's Luddites are incredible.
3
Last week I rented a car at an airport and was initially given a Ford Fusia, a hybrid car with keyless ignition and countless buttons. There was no gear stick either. It had been replaced by this clumsy knob or dial. I spent almost half an hour trying to get that car working to no avail. There was no instruction on the dashboard or warning whatsoever. The engine was also so quiet that I could hardly tell if it's running or not. I eventually went back to the counter and asked for a different car, one with a key and stick! I'm glad I did. I am a very experienced driver with good records. I have a Master's degree and I speak 3 languages. I don't mean to boast about being smart, maybe I'm not. But regardless of one's intelligence, so-called smart cars (this include self-driving cars) can be a very, very dumb idea. Keyless ignition is really a crime.
82
@Petunia I don’t know how smart you might be, but there is no such animal as “a Ford Fusia.” Ford Fusion, yes. As for keyless ignition being a crime, please be informed that it is also possible to leave a car running when getting out even if the car has a conventional key left in the ignition. Indeed, this has been done, and people have died that way, intentionally and accidentally.
5
Couldn’t the car makers spend about one dollar to add a CO sensor to each car and shut off the engine if the level gets high? Could cut suicides, too.
47
I have forgotten to turn off my Prius a few times but it was parked outside. It can happen to anyone, not just the elderly.
Of couse cars should shut off after a time period and car makers including Toyota have already implemented this. If you don't have a carbon monoxide alarm go and get one. They are only about $20.00. Especially if you park in an attached garage!
18
I have owned Toyota hybrid vehicles for well over a decade. I love keyless cars because they are easy to unlock and lock. I currently own a Lexus hybrid. I keep the key in my purse. The car makes a very loud electronic noise if left running while I walk away carrying my purse. The only way the car can remain on is if the key is left inside the car. Who does that? I cannot lock the car if the key is left inside: it makes a loud noise.
Lexus is a Toyota product. Perhaps later models have this feature?
3
@Old Hominid - I think the problem might be that when you park your car in a garage attached to your house, you most likely will not be locking it, therefore you can easily leave the key in the car and the car running. Parking on the street or in a driveway outside your house is a different situation.
12
This happened to me with my Toyota Prius. The engine stops automatically when you stop the car so if you are in a hurry you can forget to turn it off as I did. We were saved by the CO detectors in the garage which went off in the middle of the night.
17
@JS Yes, but did you leave your key in the car or take it with you? My daughter was driving an older model Prius years ago, had her boyfriend drop her off, she had the key, the car continued to run until he turned it off elsewhere and then of course he couldn't re-start it as he had no key. I assume that type of problem had been fixed on the newer models,
6
My 2018 Mini Cooper has a keyless ignition. It also runs so quietly that it’s sometimes a challenge to know whether or not it’s running. These two things are individually desirable, but together lead to circumstances in which I can easily walk away from the car while running, unless I am particularly mindful. Once I accidentally shifted into reverse rather than park, and got out of the car only to have to scramble for the brake...thank goodness I didn’t accidentally hit the gas. Drivers with keyless ignitions and new cars must be mindful of getting out of their automobiles. I can easily see how this scenario leads to carbon monoxide poisoning.
17
I rented a Nissan for the entire month of February, 2018, so I was familiar with this feature in that car. We drove to the beach, parked on the street, and had lunch. We returned 2 hours later and the car was still running. I told my wife then, that people would die from this "feature". I am sorry I was correct.
51
@Jack - Well, I've done the same thing with an old-fashioned keyed vehicle--with the key locked in the car because I always pressed the manual door lock as I got out of the car. Never once found my car unlocked when I didn't want it to be but locked the keys in the car several times, three times with the car still running.
4
My 2019 Chevrolet Equinox automatically shuts off after about 5 minutes. Don't know if it was retrofitted or what, but it does shut itself off. Seems like a pretty cool feature to me. Save gas, save a bit on air quality and save lives.
11
@RedRusty
I have been told that new BMW motorcycles are similar - if you walk away with the key fob, it will shut itself off after a predetermined time (maybe 10 minutes?).
2
What exactly is the benefit of keyless ignition? Is this yet another example of a technological "solution" in search of a real problem?
34
It is amazing - you don’t have to fish your keys out of your bag or pocket to turn on the car. Simple and totally not necessary, but convenient and delightful.
But I have definitely left my Prius running a couple of times when I left in a hurry, especially after sitting in my car for a while before leaving it. Even my husband, who has amazing attention to detail, has done it once.
Auto shutoff seems like a no brainer.
24
@Max duPont
The benefit for me, and I have had it in my last 3 autos, is that I don't have to fish for keys. As long as you have the fob in a pocketbook or pocket everything is hands free. I had to spend more money for this feature. No one has to have it. It is an add-on at least in the mid range type autos that I purchase. I am also pretty sure that education level has absolutely nothing to do with this tragedy.
4
These electronics and safety features are a joke. My brand new driver is driving a 2003 BMW with a manual transmission. Safety is a function of situational awareness not letting a bunch of beeps and whistles pay attention for you.
10
The statistics would disagree.
But at least when you get in a crash in a vehicle from 2003 you know it was your fault, not a computer malfunction.
2
@Jean Auerbach Considering I the ease with which I fish my keys out of my purse and stick them in the ignition, I'm not terribly concerned about needing the bells and whistles that others do to avoid an accident.
11
@ROK. A friend who always carried a huge purse was forever having to fish her keys out. One day I noticed her pulling something out of her bag, looked suspiciously like a dog leash- but- she didn't have a dog! A friend had made her a beautiful leather "leash" for her keys! Brilliant! How hard IS this?
And yes, you CAN lock these fobs in the car, fortunately, my AAA card got my sons unlocked when his Mazda had the fob inside.
5
Being a “car guy”, I’ve never really liked the concept of keyless entry, years ago it seemed cool on high end sports cars, streamlining the door and adding a techie touch...
Making it standard on every new car just added new and stupid problems.
And obviously a deadly one as well...
To not have considered this possibility in the first place or to have deliberately ignored it to save money, which is the most likely scenario is typical corporate mindset.
When I first noticed these type of keys becoming a standard, I mentioned to a friend that I didn’t like them, he wonder why and I listed several off the top of my head... without more than a few seconds thought, the possibility of this kind of tragedy occurred to me... actually, initially not for seniors, but for parents with small children... it’s a no brainer, most modern homes with attached garages have a kitchen nearby where the keys are kept, on a rack or in a drawer... too close for the auto shut feature to be effective... if that is even available.
A parent trying to manage a fussy infant or toddlers, can easily forget to turn off the car... in fact I’ve seen that happen twice in driveways.
I have no sympathy for manufacturers, since this should have been an obvious possibility which they chose not to address, and which would have been much cheaper to incorporate earlier anyway.
Instead people paid for a simple mistake with their lives.
27
@Victor Cook - This same problem happened with keyed cars parked in attached garages, too. Perhaps it's more common with the new keyless cars but it's not new. Possibly it's be more of a problem now because many newer cars run much more quietly than older models and so it's easier to not notice that the car is still running and not so much because the car is keyless..
6
I feel terrible for these people and think it's so unfortunate that this happened to them, but the focus on how smart and educated they were was unnecessary and almost implies that those who have not reached the highest levels of academia are expected to forget to shut off their car. Newsflash: It's not more striking that these people were academics. These types of things can happen to anyone.
30
@Whatever I also was a little put off by the attention given to their intelligence and accomplishments. Read more like an obituary than a piece of reportage. Most of us in their 80s will experience some level of cognitive impairment. Not surprising that one would forget to push the button. I have done it myself twice already.
9
I feel the keyless ignition is the worse invention of all time. I have faced many problems not mentioned. Once I parked in NYC garage in theater district, and walked away with the key. Upon returning 4 hours later the attendant informed me that I owed him $ 150.oo for blocking his garage for 4 hours. He couldn't move my car. Another time the garage attendant brought my car and my wife and I drove 120 miles and stopped for lunch. Upon returning we could not start car because attendant forgot to hand us the key. And then there was the time my wife stopped at convenience store and I stayed in car, listening to my favorite pitcher with a no-hitter heading into the 9th. My wife inadvertently turned motor off, before leaving in the freezing rain. Not only could I not start radio, nor start the heater, but I had to walk out in pouring rain (she brought umbrella) and search for her in large crowded store and upon returning with her key the game was over. Aside from the deaths, there seems to be no advantages in this system. How lazy does one have to be to insert key in the ignition or to press button on remote to unlock door ?
35
You know you can use the fob like a key if you find the downsides too great. Just get in he habit of fishing that sucker out and sticking it in the ignition.
@Jean Auerbach
I do not know about other cars but mine does not have an ignition slot to put the key in- the key only gets you in the car.
10
my Hyundai ioniq screams at me if I exit the car with the engine running (like when i'm mailing a letter).
1
Other commenters are debating the pro and con of keyless entry - I love mine - but the article misses an important highlight: 78 million individuals are entering a life stage where cognitive decline is more than just a remote possibility. Ensuring that people can make smart decisions to protect themselves and others will require that we reconsider assumptions in basic design so we aren't our own worst enemy.
12
How is pushing a button any different than turning a key? It’s not. It takes about the same effort.
This speaks more to the mental fitness of the driver than the maker of the vehicle.
2
Typically you will need keys to enter the house...
5
@caljn , fobs soon to replace house locks, or facial recognition, or fingerprint etc
Most cars these days shut off the engine anyway when the car sits still. That’s a better solution.
5
The Government should not regulate keyless ignitions. The free market can take care of the problem. This would not be an issue if people were responsible for themselves. The Government should not be a parent always looking out for us. The less regulations we have, the better the economy functions.
In case you can't tell, I am being sarcastic. What I just wrote is part of the Republican mantra. And it is bad for the country -- just like almost everything else the Republican Party wants to do. There are some things the free market is unable to do by itself.
22
Super -easy solution - make keyless ignitions an opt-in feature with a signed disclosure.
4
It had happened to me! I bought the same car. I left the car running all night! I, fortunately, didn't have an attached garage which probably saved my life. I don't understand why car makers don't put an alarm as they do when we forget to turn off the lights, or the door open.
23
Most people I know have smoke detectors in their homes, but very few have carbon-monoxide detectors.
Every Keller family member will be receiving carbon-monoxide detectors this weekend as an early Christmas stocking stuffer.
Thank you NYT for this article for it possibly will save some innocent lives.
17
Another brutal example of technology killing people. What was wrong with car keys in the first place? Why do we constantly replace things that already work well?
29
@Rick Morris it appears to be an accident. Technology cannot be blamed for killing these folks.
@Rick Morris
GM seemed to have an issue with regular ignitions + keys. I know a few Honda Odyssey owners who had ignition + key issues too. They weren't as foolproof as many would think.
4
This couple was elderly and perhaps wanted to go together painlessly. It is their business and no one need speculate or judge their decision.
2
My Lincoln automatically shuts off after 5 minutes if left idling in park.
4
Why are 88 year old people allowed to drive? Their reactions are so diminished.
4
Why do you contend that someone who is in their 80’s has diminished mental capacity?
11
I have a car with keyless ignition and it is inconceivable to me that anyone would leave their car running. If this happens to a person more than once they are no longer capable of operating the machine and should not have a license. No one wants to have their freedom of movement limited but a inexcusable lapse like that is a sure sign you’re past the point of driving safely. It certainly isn’t the auto manufacturer’s duty to protect against every possible dumb action.
4
Wow, seriously? It must be sweet to be infallible, but if it comes with such little empathy and imagination I’ll pass.
It’s happened to me at least twice - both moments when I was exhausted after a night of staying up with infant twins. I stayed in the car resting for a few minutes with the air on lightly but nothing else on. Then realized I was late for a meeting, so gathered my stuff quickly and, arms full, left my silent vehicle (the engine on a Prius turns off when you’re parked), forgetting to push that ignition button.
Sure, it’s scatter brained, and I certainly agree that I shouldn’t have been operating a vehicle so tired, but sadly our economy and politics don’t give many realistic options other than to buck up and get to work.
23
Stupid discussion about a real problem with at least 2 cheap fixes. 1) software (can be an update for existing vehicles) that switches ignition OFF say 30 seconds after vehicle is placed in Park (can include a option to bypass the shut down if ignition button is pressed once or twice during that period for those that need to car running to do work). 2) back in the "bad" old days cars came with a key left in warning (a LOUD mechanical buzzer); easy and cheap to install on all new vehicles. Folks it's not rocket science.
14
"The deaths of Ms. Penney and Mr. Livingston were all the more striking because of their accomplishments in academia and science."
What an insulting sentence. Professors are smart. If that happened to some stupid people without scientific achievements - this would be more understandable...
16
Different types of intelligence. Academics often lack common sense.
5
Capitalism costs lives.
3
@Imagine
There are cars in China and Scandinavia with key fobs.
Another warning beep on a car. Great. I have at least 4 when I back down my narrow driveway, none of which are more than a distraction (too close to the left- no, no, too close to the right, car coming 50 feet away) but say nothing about the pedestrian waiting for me to try to see them, because the visibility on my Toyota Volt sucks. Or the one that tells me I just locked my key in the trunk (well, yeah, that can at least tell me where it is). At least Toyota provides a physical key to get into the car - after you pry the cute cover over the keyhole off - but that doesn't help you turn it on if the key's battery is dead.
Jeez, manufacturers, give us options, and fix your errors. A beep is just irritating, like 5 warnings per page in the user manual (not nearly as nice as the old Chilton's guides). Yes, a CO detector was more important in this case, but warnings that driving is dangerous isn't going to protect from cars that don't turn off.
6
Whenever I read articles like this, I remind myself that it’s legal to buy, own and shoot guns in the USA, and there are almost as many guns as people. It kind of blows my mind that any government agency or legislative body could possibly fixate on products that are dangerous if not used properly when nobody appears to care to regulate the one product that is self-evidently dangerous when used properly. Tens of thousands of Americans dead and maimed each year, but we park that fact and focus on keyless ignition, or car seats, or baby rockers, or whatever, that kill a handful. Why bother? Why even bother? It’s absurd.
127
@Xoxarle Don't worry. With the stacked Supreme Court, the dismantling of consumer protections from every direction, and the wholesale embrace of greed above all else, this won't be a problem for too much longer. The country's approach to product safety will be as nonexistent as our gun regulations.
34
@Xoxarle
". . . nobody appears to care to regulate the one product that is self-evidently dangerous when used properly. Tens of thousands of Americans dead and maimed each year. . . "
And yet, according to the National Safety Council, traffic fatalities on U.S. roads reached an estimated 40,000 in 2018, the third year in a row in which at least that many people died in vehicle crashes.
9
@Marge Keller
What a coincidence: "Nearly 40,000 people died from guns last year, highest in 50 years"
NYTimes Dec.18 2018
8
My Nissan is so quiet that there have been times that I have left the engine on and walked away from the car. But it has an "Intelligent Key" as well as a keyless ignition that won't let me lock it in those circumstances, therefore alerting me to the fact that the engine is still on. But if I had parked the car in a home garage I can see how the events noted in this article could have happened.
7
My Toyota pickup is nearly twenty years old and in all those years I only believe I've had to replace the ignition key once because it became so worn it wouldn't open the door lock. I guess I just don't understand the sense of all this new electronic junk. I know that an electrical switch is much cheaper to make and install for the car maker than a mechanical one, but who is the car ultimately supposed to be built for? Bernie and Elizabeth are right, it's all the big corporations fault.
37
Our Toyota dealer neglected to tell us how to turn our keyless Toyota off. Luckily, my wife asked me how to do it before she drove off. I had previously wrestled with rentals and had figured it out.
6
@Jack Kimmes
My wife borrowed my car when I first bought it and spent 30 minutes cursing that she couldn't start it at the store because she didn't know you have to have your foot on the brake to enable the starting process. When you are in the car with the key fob, the light on the start/stop button will be red until you put your foot on the brake, then it turns green and you can start the car.
Prior to that we had both owned manual transmission vehicles for roughly 25 years and that meant putting the clutch to the floor to enable starting.
5
After the last article the NYT ran about the dangers of keyless ignitions, I went out and got carbon monoxide detectors for the apartment I was living in at the time. Our apartment was above our garage and the garages of two of our neighbors. One of the neighbors had a newer Toyota and I didn't want to take any chances.
I'm a Toyota loyalist because of the brand's reliability, but I've driven my mother's Toyota hybrid and I've forgotten to turn off the ignition many times. Not a big deal in a hybrid, but deadly in a non-hybrid / non-electric vehicle. The two newer Toyotas I own have keyed ignitions, primarily for this reason. I feel like the keyless ignition solves a problem that really wasn't a problem to begin with.
24
@MKG
I own a Toyota Camry hybrid and believe there could still be a potential problem. After a period of time sitting in a garage, the combustion engine would automatically come on to recharge the battery. It may take some time, depending upon the battery charge at outset, but I certainly wouldn’t want to take any chances.
8
@Kim. If what you write is correct, this is a very serious design flaw. No car should be able to self start while unoccupied. One of the reasons those remote start to warm up/cool down add-ons for people in cold or hot climates are particularly dangerous.
3
@Kim Yikes - thanks for the head’s up. My mother left the car on many times in her garage having made that mistake myself driving her car I see how easy it is to overlook pressing the button. She moved and no longer has a garage but still very concerning.
3
In 2017 , we took a self guided trip to Ireland and rented a Ford Focus in Dublin. This was the first car we have driven that had an automatic engine shutoff and restart function, probably for fuel efficiency. The car would stop the engine after the brakes were applied for some preset amount of time, example- at a stop light, and then automatically restart the engine when the accelerator was pressed. No engine stumbles at all, and the system worked flawlessly. The same system could have saved this couple and also saved fuel and reduced pollution here. Why isn't this a normal feature on cars sold in the US ?
8
@Carr Smith
i live in upstate ny, and recently had to drive a rental tiny toyota while my far superior car was in the shop. the thing did indeed turn itself off at stoplights. i wouldn't trust it in a breeze.
6
@Carr Smith. That feature is available on some plug in hybrids - such as Prius.
1
Pushing a button to start/stop a car is a physical action just like turning a key to start/stop a car. Forgetting to do one or the other is on the distracted driver, not the fault of the vehicle. I've been driving keyless, push button vehicles since 2008 and could never go back to the inconvenience of a key. Driving my mother to appointments in her car that uses a key is nothing short of maddening. The vehicles we've been driving since 2011 make an annoying beep when the driver exits the vehicle without turning it off. It also makes the same beep every time the driver's key comes back within range of the vehicle. I've never forgot to turn the car off, but I often experience the annoying beeping when I hop out to check the mail at the end of the driveway with the vehicle on. It also happens when I stop to air-up the tires and leave the car on. Fortunately, the vehicle is also electric, so there is no CO to worry about.
4
There are other issues regarding shut off. Many new cars have an interior cabin that is so quiet you cannot hear the motor running. They also have (BMW in this case) a feature that automatically stops an engine when the car is a traffic light and the engine remains off until the brake is released and the driver steps on the gas. That creates hesitancy instead of instant response and it's dangerous to use that feature in city driving. Fortunately BMW allowed that feature to be bypassed but the driver must remember to always press two (2) buttons to start the engine.
It is the quietness of the engine though that is most disturbing. Many seniors have severe hearing disabilities. I know I do. I cannot hear all frequencies and therefore, when I'm ready to exit the car I must look carefully at the tachometer (revolutions per minute of the engine) and visually confirm that the engine is shut off. I started that process after I got out of the car and then suddenly realized the engine was still running.
Drivers need audible and easily recognized visual indicators that tell us when engines are on or off, in park or drive, and information about the parking break too.
We should note that many cars now have electric parking brakes. They too should be able to be set automatically when a driver puts the car in park. All cars should automatically shut off when a vehicle is empty after too long a time. In fact we already have automatic sensors that activate or deactivate air bags.
17
I parked my 2017 Honda CRV at the supermarket lot, waved my hand on the handle to lock it and left. When I returned, the door was unlocked, the red light on the ignition button was on, the engine running. I had dismissed the warning sound as another one of those sounds which permeate my universe. A more distinctive and obstrusive sound probably would have caught my attention. Yes, this needs to be addressed.
22
My wife's cousin and her significant other died in similar fashion, in Florida, from the same thing. Attached garage, quiet car, older couple. I assume the number of deaths caused by keyless entry is understated. Cars have computers. They should turn off automatically after idling for a period of time. To prevent accidents like this and to reduce the amount of unneeded CO2 contributing to climate change. The cost should be minimal. And everyone should have CO detectors in their home.
23
While I recognize the convenience I dislike keyless as well, the proverbial answer to the unasked question. I prefer the tactile act of firing up the engine with the turn of a key. And addition to the poison tragedy, the recent spate of engine fire recalls I do not think I would park my car in an attached garage.
10
My husband and I were awakened by a carbon monoxide detector after our car ran for four hours in an attached garage during the night. VERY IMPORTANT to call the fire fighters in a situation like that. They had gas masks and monitors and went all over our house checking for high levels of the gas. They said anyone in the room above the garage would have died. It took about an hour for the levels to return to normal. Fortunately our bedroom was at the opposite end of the house and was ok. We installed a co2 monitor in the garage the next day. I'm not convinced that keyless cars are worth the risks, but co2 monitors are definitely worth the price.
42
I have two Toyota Avalons. My 22 year old left one of them running in my garage, and went shopping nearby. Fortunately the garage was open to the air one one full side. The vehicle is so quiet that it is nearly impossible to perceive engine sounds at a low idle, especially if there is any background noise. She ignored the sound the vehicle made when she exited. Three beeps meant nothing to her. It ran for about three hours, when she returned to the garage. The vehicle needs a loud obnoxious, distinctive alarm, and a shut off mechanism that triggers in a few minutes.
18
If you’ve never built anything, you’d assume that after hundreds of millions of cars, the industry would have thought through all the possible issues with new systems. As Boeing found out, experience sometimes doesn’t guarantee understanding. Americans, especially, demand features that are hard to eradicate, like headlights that can stay on with the car parked (not that common elsewhere!) or anything to interlock seat belts with putting a car in gear, or anything that interferes with trapping a child or a pet in either a running or parked car. I can go on.
We also believe our liberties are endangered with regulations related to home safety, and can only squeak in mandatory CO monitors, fire-resistant construction and fault-limiting electrical breakers for new construction or major rebuilding projects. Home insurance doesn’t cover death, as that costs them nothing.
It happens that, when many of us get older, beeps in cars and home alarms recede into an unheard background. Unfortunately, we mostly have to continue driving far too long because of the way we have built suburbs with no alternative transit.
So, scattershot weak solutions, like dinky alarms for cars and houses, simply can’t help us. Doesn’t mean that there are no good solutions, or that we’re not willing to deal with them.
6
The owners didn't fully understand how to operate their new car. That is not the cars fault. I recently bought one of these keyless cars and spent a day reading all manuals, looking at various dashboard lights, etc to make sure i understood this new technology. My last car had electric windows and that was all.
@Mad Please don't blame this tragedy on the victims.
20
@Mad
Someone can understand every single feature incorporated into their vehicle... then one day you pull into the garage while your infant is screaming, and you have to undo the car seat and maneuver it out, added distraction for a toddler or twins... modern cars are super quite, in many cases you can hardly tell if they are running...
In a small house where the keys in a pocket or purse may not be far enough away for the auto shutoff feature to kick in (if it’s even an option), a silly mistake, a momentary distraction could easily turn into a tragedy.
It’s not rocket science to figure out this might occur and add a idling time limit or audible warning to the keys fob.
It’s not the fault of the car, it’s the fault of the person in charge of the project to develop the feature and thusly the fault of the manufacturer to have not considered a very obvious scenario.
11
@Mad Nobody should have to spend all day reading a manual to understand how to drive a new car. The new instruments, indicators, etc should be intuitive enough for the dealer to be able to explain it to you before you drive off the lot. If there are advanced features that require reading the manual, ignoring those features should not compromise the ability of the driver to safely handle the car.
14
I have exited our 2014 Toyota Sienna while it was still running and so has my wife. We always catch it and fortunately we park it outside, but the keyless system strikes me as a little silly. Our other cars are older and have keys, one metal and one electronic that has to be inserted into a receptacle on the dash before the button can be pushed and vice verse to shut it off. That car is pretty rorty so there is no question whether it is running or not, but it seems pretty fail-safe.
I think we are too eager to embrace these so-called conveniences. What's the big deal about having to use a key?
27
I like my keyless entry and ignition. The keyless entry prevents the other dangling keys from scratching the paint around the lock and the keyless ignition is quick and prevents (or solves the problem of, for some of you) the breakage that used to occur to the manual ignition when the weight of keys was too heavy.
This is of course a tragic accident and anyone of any age can inadvertently leave his/her car running. But this accident also calls into question the potential hazards of an elderly driver commandeering a 5000 pound vehicle whose technology is advancing beyond his grasp.
2
@day owl
What in this story causes you to characterize these people as technologically incompetent?
14
@Diane Their diminishing faculties due to age. None of us is immune to it.
1
@day owl What? Preventing from scratching the paint around the lock? Really? I don't car about that. I would prefer my car key any day over perfect scratchless paint. And, keys too heavy? Ridiculous. Just remove all those other keys! Bottom line is: it is unclear what keyless entry actually solves. Nothing.
11
How sad, and how very interesting, and certainly an "unintended consequence" of a new technology. I wish the author had pursued the point made by Fiat-Chrysler, who said "statistics show no increase in such injuries when compared with vehicles featuring conventional rotary-key ignition systems." If that's the case, then all cars need the "engine-is-still-running" alert, not just those with a keyless ignition. In fact, the Avalon in the story had such a warning system that evidently wasn't enough to warn the couple when they left their car, still running, in the garage. Some follow-up would be appreciated. In the meantime, I just checked my 2003 Toyota Camry by starting the car, getting out of the car, and then closing the door while it was still running. No warning, it just kept running. So, if my hearing were even worse than it is, or the car was new and much quieter, yeah, I could see how I might accidentally leave it running. I'd be happy with an automatic shut-off feature that turns the engine off after maybe five minutes.
14
I'm so sorry for this couple. I accidentally left my keyless car running for 30 minutes. It was pouring down rain and I had stopped at the grocery store. Didn't hear any beeps over the pounding rain. I have an attached garage, too, and it crossed my mind that this could be a deadly mistake (although I do have CO detectors).
In general I do not like the keyless feature, electronic trunk closure, electronic park brake, auto dimming rear view mirror, etc. The electronic motor on the park/emergency brake has already failed on a 2018 car! I wish I could have purchased a mechanical car with just the safety features I wanted.
28
CO detectors usually cost about $20 and are easy to install. Buy a bunch and put them around the house - now.
12
I am a 40 year old man who HATES keyless cars. This is in my opinion the worst invention ever, here is why:
1)my wife and I are always looking for the keys even when in the car, life with kids is chaotic enough!
2)my friend was given his car by a valet and drove 4 hours away before he realizes he didn’t have his keys, after he turned off the ignition and at that point he was stuck!
3)people have been killed in their driveways by this technology as they pressed the accelerator after they thought car was off
4)this story
Bottom line, this invention has made life more difficult and dangerous. There was nothing wrong with the old traditional key! Please can we revert back, please!
120
@Chris - I don't know how you could drive that far without the keyfob. I have a pretty old version (I got it used - 2014), and it still will turn off outside a short range of the fob - probably less than a few hundred feet.
You also never have to take the keys from your pocket - not sure why they would keep getting lost.
5
Until you report the age distribution of those 36 deaths, try to keep the ageism down to a dull roar. The problem instead is unfamiliarity and frustration with new technology, which has been a complaint in J.D. Power and Consumer Reports surveys for several years. And here is where the older mind is indeed less quick to adapt, but many demographic groups are caught out by unfamiliar tech. It likely contributed to the death of the actor Anton Yelchin in his twenties.
Our previous car was a Toyota Prius, which my wife said would “start to cry” if you got out and closed the door while it was “on.” It would squeal! Our new car is an all-electric Hyundai and it, too emits a high-volume, high-pitched tone in that situation. Auto shutdown would be good but creates the unintended consequence of people walking away from unlocked, running cars in public places.
6
@Richard Dettman. Yes, blaming hearing-diminished elderly is ageism, but what do we call populations who are instantly distracted by smartphones while exiting cars, people who insist on a high-volume sonic environment at all times, in or out of a car?
Do we blame people who have garage door openers (an ancient form of keyless access), smart door locks on houses, app-controlled HVAC, or any of the deluge of new stuff blossoming just now? Things that are adopted without any suspicion or understanding by everyone? The responsible task for industry and government is to focus on passive solutions to hazards rather than things that require perfect attention or intelligence. So, porch and stair railings instead of, say warning alarms. Airbags. Covered electrical sockets. Highway overpasses instead of intersections....
Perfect attention to our immediate surroundings is, I’m afraid, no longer possible.
6
@Richard Dettman I'm in my 30s and I hate keyless entry. I refuse to drive a car with keyless ignition.
9
This happened to me 3 times with my 2007 Nissan Versa... luckily I parked on the street. My neighbors noticed it running the next day. But my new 2014 Nissan Versa does not have keyless entry. They recognized the problem and fixed it.
9
While this is tragic and my sincere condolences to the Linvingston"s I will refrain from putting any blames at the foot of Toyota maker, I am in no way associated with Toyota but I believe this is a tragedy. The author of this article did not do a good job in the article other than call it a tragedy more or less created by Toyota because they offered keyless entry as a feature on their Toyota Avalon. Some safety features however should be considered for cars with this feature, such as automatic shut off once the kay is idle for upwards of 10 to 15 minutes without any motion.
6
Everyone really should have a CO detector on every level, and should have one in the garage if connected. While most cars do either give you an indication that you've left the car running (or conversely that you've turned it off) mistakes happen. More warnings equals fewer chances for a fatality.
And if one's hearing is compromised alarms that provide other alerts are also available.
9
Keyless cars are so convenient. They are not the problem.
Co2 detectors are mandatory in California. They are the solution.
3
@June Carbon monoxide is CO, not CO2. CO2 is carbon dioxide, which is a by-product of many carbon fuel processes and is heavily implicated in global warming.
Which detectors does California have?
3
@ejb June must've meant CO, for carbon monoxide. It's the deadly gas that comes with car exhaust... and many houses have such an alarm these days, I wonder if there was one in the couple's house in this article?
4
National building code requires smoke and CO detectors - but inside homes - I’m note sure about inside garages.
3
The problem with a warning system based on a beeping sound is that elderly drivers and anyone with a substantial hearing impairment might not hear it. I have been hearing impaired much of my adult life. I can’t hear turn signal sounds, CO detectors, etc, without hearing aids, and even then its problematic.
26
If you can’t hear then don’t drive!
1
@Ghost
C’mon, son. It mighta felt fun to write that, but we’re talking about a deadly problem caused by an unconsidered invention to solve a most trivial problem.
12
I don't understand what problem the keyless ignition has solved, but the downsides are easy to articulate. I was once left locked out of a nearly new car, at night, in an unfamiliar neighborhood, because the key wouldn't unlock the car. And whatever triggered it also engaged the anti-theft system, so I couldn't even use it to manually unlock the car or the trunk. It took two hours and a crafty, old-school security guard with a hanger and very steady hands to get me back in. The dealer couldn't explain it, but they did offer to replace the key for a charge.
42
@Lady Edith
Ok now i need to know the make of car...
2
@Mad It was a 2016 Honda Civic. The car was so unresponsive I first assumed it a dead battery on either the car or the key, but then I realized that the manual unlock should have worked in that scenario. Once I finally got in the car it decided that I was legit, and let me start up without incident.
7
I used to test CO alarms. They really work. Everyone should have at least one on every level of the home, even if you don't have CO generating appliances now. Someone in the household may introduce a CO-generating device in the future. Also, CO is generated during any combustion and is a major product in an accidental fire.
It is good sense to have one of those combo units (smoke and CO detector). Even the combo units are relatively cheap and easy to install and maintain. They last 10 years. Value your life and those of your housemates. Many states require CO detectors in inhabited buildings.
13
Wheo even asked for keyless cars?! A lot of these new features on newer cars make no sense. I dont want a car that takes all the control away from me.
124
@zach1 Who even asked for these dang cars. I was getting along fine with me horse and buggy.
9
I have a 2017 Prius. I’m in my 30s. I’ve absolutely done this at least 3x. When I’m alone, I make sure the radio is on as a reminder to turn the car off. However, I try to not use the radio when I’m in the car with my kid so we can have conversations. And then I’m more likely not to turn car off.
69
All dwellings in Florida with gas appliances or an attached garage are supposed to have co2 detectors installed. If this simple law had been adhered to tragedy could have been averted.
10
@Pat. A CO2 sensor might not have prevented this tragedy, which was caused my carbon monoxide (CO).
2
@Pat Carbon monoxide is CO. Please don't say CO2. CO2 has its own set of dangers and can suffocate you in a different way, and may need its own detectors in some situations. Please be accurate as to which one you mean.
4
@Pat. Only new construction, and renovation post 2008. Nothing at all about mandatory retrofitting. Similar elsewhere. Would be ok if we all lived in new houses. Worse, new regulations are offensive to many folks, who wind up avoiding permits on home projects, which also introduces many new problems. (And, of course, CO, not CO2!)
5
I want the option of leaving my car on with the ac running in case I have to leave my dog for a little while in the summer. Sometimes it’s the only solution for me since most stores don’t allow dogs. How many dogs or children overheat and die because the car had no ac option?
3
@Me In most states, if not all, it's illegal to leave children unattended in a car, regardless of the time of year and regardless of whether or not you have air conditioning. In NYS it's illegal to even leave a car with the engine running while unattended, but I'm less certain as to whether or not that's the law elsewhere. You also run the risk of the car stalling or the pets/children becoming ill from carbon monoxide as the vehicle is not moving.
9
@Me Buy an electric car. Tesla even has a "dog mode" that keeps the car at a temperature of your choosing and outs up a big sign that says "my owner will be back soon, the car is at 70 degrees." Also this terrible circumstance described above wouldn't have happened with am electric car in the garage.
10
@Jessica Many people have no choice, laws or no laws. The option of leaving the ac running will save the lives of countless dogs and some children. Likely if most cars can be safely left running with the ac on we can change the law. Modern cars are very reliable. Leaving a child home alone can be more unsafe. Babysitters can abuse children. Dogs can’t go into stores. Tying the dog up outside the car has other dangers, etc.
1
They also, apparently, had no CO detectors in their home!
Everyone should have one of these in the bedrooms, minimum. I have one on each floor.
A $20-$60 purchase also would have saved their lives.
Maybe keyless auto makers should give buyers 3 detectors for their homes!
In the mean time, if you have a keyless car in a garage at home, get some CO detectors!
11
Keyless cars have another problem beyond leaving the car running inadvertently. I arrived at work one day, shut off my Prius, and went inside. At the end of the day, I could not find my key when I wanted to open my car and drive home. It turned out that I'd left my key at home, in the street in front of the house, where it slide from my roof as I drove away. You see, my hands were full that morning and I'd set one handful of stuff on top of the car to open it. I forget that little pile, which included my key. Somehow, the car drove 30 minutes 20 miles across town, with no key to detect, and no beeps or warnings. Although my inconvenience does not compare to the tragedy that befell the family in your article, the incident my key points to another problem that should have been easy to fix long ago.
43
@Kit Traub
they only give one key? i carry a spare set in my bag, and you should [now], too!
1
@linh
Several hundred for a spare!
3
I accidentally left my car running this week - 40 years of key-related habits don't work too well with these push-button systems. Worsening the problem: It's a hybrid so it had shut off when I stopped.
11
While driving we found that we could press the off button and the car would shut off. Now the car was out of our control.
16
If I open the door while my "keyless" Avalon is running I hear a very loud tone. There are other dashboard indications that the engine is on. So I am surprised.
But such a tragedy! It is heartbreaking, and I hope a solution is developed. It will be worth the price
4
There is one safeguard that I know works, at least certainly for me: My car's door locks, which auto-lock when the car reaches 15 MPH, will only auto-unlock when the ignition is turned off.
Many times when I was in a hurry to step out of the car for a quick moment and didn't want to shut the car off, I was easily reminded the engine was running because I had to manually unlock the door. I firmly believe that precaution works far better than any audio/visual alarm system, which we quickly become inured to as this article demonstrates.
5
The Toyota Avalon (and others in the Toyota family) are so quiet when idling it's easy not to even realize the engine's running, especially if the driver's listening to something on the radio. A beep every minute or so while the engine's idling would be good. Back when cars had keys, the car companies insisted on the maddenning beeps and tones if the key was left in the ignition - this should be an easy issue to fix.
7
My husband and I own a Lexus that is keyless. Many times my husband forgets to turn off the car. What saves us each time this happens is that he is unable to lock the car while it is still running and a beeping sound occurs. It's great and life saving reminder.
I never thought about having a carbon monoxide detector in the house, but after reading this article, I am going to call my husband and ask him to pick one up today.
For "36 people to have been killed in the United States in such incidents since 2006, including seven in the past six months" it's apparent that Toyota had done nothing to prevent this situation from occurring. I certainly hope that company addresses and resolves this issue. This was a senseless and unnecessary tragedy.
Even though "the Toyota Avalon is designed to beep once internally and three times externally" if the motor is still running if the car door is open, perhaps this wonderful couple who were in their 80s either did not hear those sounds or were distracted by a conversation or something else.
Perhaps those sophisticated internal sensors could be programmed to detect when the driver gets out of the seat, the car would automatically turn off after a few minutes, much like the internal lights of the car.
Condolences to the loved ones and many friends of James D. Livingston and Sherry H. Penney.
9
@Marge Keller Everyone should have carbon monoxide detectors. They are now required by building codes (at least in my jurisdiction).
4
@CF
I agree. However, so are smoke detectors. And I know some folks who don't change the battery and merely leave them be. Making sure that fresh batteries are installed each year and that the device is in working order are two simple tasks that a lot of people just don't or won't do.
3
I'm troubled by the title of the article "a Keyless Car’s Downside Killed Them." Some people with manual key ignition cars occasionally forget to turn off the car; my grandmother did that once.
However, the actual cause of death was CO poisoning which could have been prevented by having CO detectors in the home.
I think the article would have been more accurate -- and it likely would have saved more lives -- it if had been targeted at the need for everyone to install CO detectors rather than focusing on the tiny number of people killed by leaving on keyless cars. There are many other sources of CO. Every year, 20,000 to 30,000 people in the United States are sickened by accidental carbon monoxide poisoning and approximately 500 people die.
161
@Phil, agreed. I don't have a garage. I park my motorcycles and truck in the streets. And, on every floor of our building, I've got CO monitors installed. If I had a garage, I'd have 2 installed (One hardwired. One battery). I'm not sure why people who have garages don't have them hardwired in. I don't ever recall seeing them when I was growing up. Or, why it is not in every local code to build homes with them.
9
We don't have to pass legislation to prevent every possible isolated accident. When does it end? When there are no accidents?
3
@Kent Kraus Yes. When accidents caused by bad engineering or design are an extremely rare thing. This has actually happened when factories started to install safety measures to prevent death and loss of limbs in machines. Like requiring two hands to operate a stamping press, etc. Nowadays, factory accidents still happen but, are rare and usually because of safety violations, lack of inspection, or poor practices by the owner or worker.
11
Electric cars. Problem solved.
30
@Frank Scully
Battery catches fire while charging. Problem starts.
8
@Gerardo Also not enough charging stations. I still wonder why we needed keyless entry.
8
@Gerardo
A car fire is far more of an issue with an ICE (internal combustion engine).
6
I drive a Toyota vehicle with this keyless system. While it is convenient, it is a system I would not have chosen if I could have opted out of it in the vehicle I purchased. Not because of this particular very real danger (I have a separate garage), but because it is simply one more "techno toy" that will eventually break and cost me time and money to repair.
I am a great supporter of electric cars and plug-in hybrid cars for environmental reasons but I am not a supporter of autonomous vehicles and other techno toys that seem to proliferate in our world.
At the University where I work, there is a very prominent computer scientist who has a saying "Not everything benefits or is improved by computer control. There are things that are better done by people." An automobile key is one of them.
147
@Richard From Massachusetts
I couldn't agree more. I drive an "old" vehicle with a key. I neither need nor desire a keyless entry. Why? To spend more to make a second spare to give a family member? To make it even more difficult to accomplish a task (driving) if some technology decides to misbehave? And so that me car is unlocked if I am too close to it? It is so true. Technology need not necessarily be embraced simply because it is new. If legislation is proposed, why not make a mandatory option to decline keyless entry and retain the current "old fashioned" method?
23
I’m sorry for any loss of life - but:
Thirty-six deaths since 2006 averages to less than three deaths per year. On a scale measuring other causes for accidental death, this one doesn’t even register. (See https://www.safetynewsalert.com/number-of-accidental-deaths-hits-new-high/).
MY Lincoln MkT honks the horn any time a door closes while the engine is running and the driver’s seat is unoccupied. At my present age (76) it’s annoying - - but it makes sense. It would make more sense were it to honk as an “alarm” - - after more than “x” minutes of idling - - or, better yet, automatically shut off. (Maybe it does. I’ve never tested this.) I think there’s no legitimate reason to leave a vehicle running for a long period and no harm to be caused by shutting the engine off - let alone an accidental death.
Still - blaming the car because the driver forgets to shut off the engine makes absolutely NO sense - regardless of how “smart” the driver is.
FUTURE designs for keyless car shut-off protocols should take this issue into consideration.
Suggesting a recall us utterly nonsensical. A recall would be a ridiculous waste.
3
There is also the problem of remote starters. I left my Mazda running while bowling one night. I was told by the desk my car was running. The remote in my pocket must have been pressed by another key. I rarely use the remote starter anymore and use only my key fob.
Btw, smart people in academics aren't always "real life" smart. Where was their CO detector???
5
I've seen the exact same thing with my father (90yo) and his Honda Accord. Fortunately, he parks it outside so it just eventually runs out of power. Also, both "Ms" Penny and her husband had PhDs, so the correct form of address is "Dr"
13
Funny, sorry the deaths are not funny, but I live in Maryland and just had a new heat pump installed in my house. The installer said that they would also be installing a carbon monoxide detector in my house. I asked why, as my house is all electric. The installer said that they are required to do so in any house with an attached garage.
Now I know why!
61
"... require carmakers to make vehicles shut off automatically after a set period of idling."
Unfortunately, people leave children and pets in cars (expecting it to be a short time) idling with the air conditioning on in the hot sun. If cars automatically shut off, these children and pets will die horrific deaths.
Of course people shouldn't do this, but of course they do.
11
To every owner of one of these vehicles who keeps them in an attached garage: install a carbon monoxide detector in your home.
10
I'm not sure why this is news, it seems obvious to me.
I love our new Toyota RAV4, except for keyless entry, which I would LOVE to replace with a regular car key. I've always thought, and still feel, that keyless entry is a classic "solution in search of a problem."
I have never see a car key as some kind of nuisance. Granted, I can get into my new car and start it up more quickly. But when I'm leaving my car, I can't always tell if the engine is on, or if it is off, or where the key is in order to carry it away.
I find keyless entry to be more of a nuisance than a benefit, for certain.
81
@Ben
Agree so much. Keyless entry is a solution in search of a problem. Thank you for pointing that out.
24
After re-reading the article it was hard not to notice that several car makers were for it while others were keeping mum. Therein lies the problem. It really isn't about what these companies like or don't like. IF and when this becomes law it isn't up to them, it will be law and they will be forced to deal with it and add the safety measures. Correct? And if they don't they should be fined until they meet and comply with the law. This is why the Dems especially Warren have it right. Enough with Corporations pulling the strings.
8
Three people I know have accidentally left their cars running. Fortunately, all three had packed their cars outside of their garages. Otherwise, I would have been going to their funerals.
You couldn’t give me one of these cars. This is a case where car manufacturers tried to introduce a convenience and instead introduced a previously nonexistent hazard to millions of people. They could have kept the key and put the other convenience features, like auto lift gate, in the fob. That would have been preferable.
And don’t get me started on the issue of dead fob batteries. For several of my friends this has gotten to be such an issue, with them getting stranded away from home, that they now carry an extra battery in their purses. They shouldn’t have to do this just to be assured they can get home!
22
I purchased a 2017 car, I wasn't happy with the keyless entry and all of the bells and whistles associated with buying a newer model car. I don't look at the rear view camera, I trust my eyesight better than a camera. What I don't understand is that I have left the motor running but a loud dinging sound comes on telling me that it was left on, simple fix press the button the car turns off. How could this have happened? Doesn't Toyota have a safety feature like this on their cars?
3
I dislike the keyless feature; it's sometimes confusing whether the car is shutdown completely. This feature is a bad idea and an example of technology overdone, which by design presents an inherent hazard in the system for human mistakes. Unfortunately, more cars are becoming keyless -- bad ideas can indeed prevail.
41
This would have been a $5 fix. Very sad.
Everyone out there who has one of these cars should go out and get a carbon monoxide detector for the home.
27
I think automatic shutoff is a fine idea, and I'm happy carmakers are moving to make it standard.
Even with manual key ignition, some (old) people occasionally forget to turn off their car; my grandmother did that once. It's possible Sherry Penney would have made the same mistake with a key.
Also, I'm stunned that such smart, responsible people had no CO detector in their home and bedroom. Regardless of car features, everyone needs to have at least one -- and preferably more than one -- CO detector in their home -- especially the bedroom.
23
@Phil: It doesn't seem all that surprising if these people didn't have any natural gas-powered devices in their home. If you don't have any CO producing devices in your house, why would you have a CO detector?
Obviously, there's a source that few have considered, which is why articles like these are doing an important public service.
4
@Phil - according to the CDC there are an average 373 deaths per year in the US due to CO poisoning. A country of well over 300 million people.
1
@Phil I am as smart as anyone and I rent cars on the regular. I am often leaving them on when they come with keyless entry -- it is such a stupid idea. And I never make that mistake with a key.
Low blow to blame the victims and switch the focus of the conversation -- that is not a good listening skill-- stay on topic please.
6
Playing devil's advocate:
1. How does one not know that a vehicle is not running? An Avalon may be relatively quiet as cars go but it is far from silent, especially in an enclosed garage. Or is a claim being made that it somehow started itself after the fact?
2. Don't modern building codes require sealing between garage and living spaces to prevent carbon monoxide from leaking where it doesn't belong?
3. No carbon monoxide alarm(s) in the living spaces?
I have my first vehicle with keyless (a Subaru Outback) and can't see how this could happen with my car; if nothing else, it complains loudly and obnoxiously if I open the door with the engine running.
5
@Bodger My Toyota Prius requires you to first press the park button then press the on/off button. I feel this double step confuses people. They feel they've turned the car off with the first step. I have many friends with this same car who constantly hop out leaving their cars running, but luckily don't have garages. There is no notification on dash saying car is off. Its an unsafe system.
5
@Bodger you would think a reader of the NYT would be a little more empathetic. People forget many things in life as I have forgotten to put my manual transmission in gear when I shut it off and it was the one time I forgot to set the emergency brake and parked on a hill and it started rolling after I left the car and walked in to the store. I am a white, male whi is 48 years old so I'm not a scatter brained teen girl or a senile old person. People make mistakes and it cost them their lives.
5
For years, I turned the key to shut the engine off when I parked. Switching to press a button was automatic. When I park, i instinctively reach to turn the car off.
3
I drive an all-electric vehicle. Problem solved.
17
@Andrew Holtz as long as the batteries don't catch fire :)
9
@veh Gasoline cars are 11x more likely to catch fire than electric cars. Look it up.
1
@Andrew Holtz - I drive a ten year old car. Same here, except I'm not smug about it.
5
Last week, keyless ignition key saved me from locking myself out.
After crazy day at work, I opened the trunk with remote and threw my lunch bag in the trunk. I tried to close the trunk five times but the trunk kept re-opening.
Alas, I had my car key in the lunch bag! The car knew that I would of locked myself out of the car!
I was so happy that has happened.
8
@Goahead
I was locked out of my car for the first time last winter during a skiing out. As I was putting the gears back to the trunk, I inadvertently put the key fab on the trunk floor, and realized that mistake just a second after the trunk was closed. So, in my case, the keyless feature didn't save me from locking myself out.
2
I absolutely HATE this feature of my new (2018) Toyota. What is the purpose of it when I still must carry around a giant fob? The car is so quiet I can't tell if I've turned it off or not, and every day I'm grateful my garage is not attached to my house.
Car makers need to fix this unintended consequence.
204
@Helen K.
The big advantage is that when you're wearing a heavy outer coat, you don't have to open it and push your hand in your pocket to get the key out.
5
@Phil If your coat or purse is heavy fabric the sensor on the fob doesnt work. You have to dig it out anyhow. I know.
5
@Helen K.
Buy an electric car. Problem solved.
2
Boy do I know this one. Fortunately it was just a trip to Costco were I left the vehicle running with a key less feature. No I am not grandpa Simpson, ....yet.
46
Carbon monoxide detection technology is available and cheap. There's little price difference between smoke detectors and combination CO/smoke detectors. Why not require the cars to have a CO detector? The logic is simple, if the car is in Park and the CO detector detects significant elevations of CO, then turn off the engine. (We own a hybrid keyless Toyota, and yes it is very easy to forget to tun off the car since it is essentially silent once parked. Thankfully it beeps internally and externally if you remove the key from the car, but it doesn't shut off. We have CO detectors in the garage and near the bedrooms, so hopefully we'll be OK.)
15
@Jim Jernigan
That sounds like a fine idea, but everyone should have one or more CO detectors in their home regardless of car features. There are other sources of CO besides a car in the garage.
8
Keyless ignition is a great example of solving a problem that didn't exist, and creating new ones in the process.
267
@Navah. Keyless ignition was designed to solve a big problem. Auto theft. It is far more difficult to steal cars with this technology. I love my keyless ignition. I don’t oppose making it safer by for example implementing an auto shut off for the engine and I’m sympathetic regarding this couple but there is nothing to say they wouldn’t have gotten out of their car and left a key in the ignition either.
42
You are wrong. A keyless ignition car is much more secure and difficult to carjack. Old people just don't adapt to technology well. Also to be clear 36 people in 13 years is white noise. The NYT wrote the article and then did the research and instead of putting this in the dustbin, they pretend this is a "real" problem.
2
I must have missed something. Why didn't they get out of the car after they stopped in the garage?
3
@Rob Colter
Probably got distracted with something... left the car running and went inside the house. CO leaked into house! A deadly gas!
Happened to me once, fortunately I was attempting to lock the door (at a public garage) and it wouldn't let me. Autos are so quiet, you can have trouble hearing it running!
7
@Rob Colter Presumably they did, but the carbon monoxide entered the house from the attached garage.
10
@Rob Colter They did. The garage was attached to the house and the emissions reached the interior of the house.
11
I hate keyless ignitions with a passion and would rather have a key. Call me old fashioned. We are all used to locking doors and other things so having a key is the most natural path to take. On a couple occasions, I've almost forgotten to turn off my car but for the fact that the dashboard is still lit, a reminder to "hit the button" before getting out of the car. The car is so quiet even though it's not electric that it makes almost no sound when idling.
94
@Mike You are old fashioned. If you are used to turning off your car with the key, then why is it hard to turn it off with a button?
3
@Mike
You are not alone in that "old fashion" category and I must say, are in exceptional company.
My husband is in his 70s. We are on our third keyless ignition car and he still forgets from time to time to hit the button on the remote . . . which is in his pants pocket.
Some car habits are difficult to break, especially when the car purrs like a kitten. The car that is absolutely silent is a Prius. Those cars truly frighten me because a person just doesn't hear them approaching, even down a quite alley like the one behind our home.
9
@Bruce
Because you don't need to take the button with you. Much of our behavior occurs due to motor memory. We aren't just turning off our cars with the key, we are also retrieving the key.
9
There should be a recall and retro-fit of existing vehicles.
$500,000 is about 1/100th of a penny to the auto industry, compared to the net worth of the average car owner.
53
@Postette
The article says carmakers are moving to add the feature. However, of the 1.2 million people killed by automobiles every year, the number killed due to this particular problem is miniscule. Maybe better headlights or windshield wipers would save more.
2
And like all these safety features being added to car the prices continue to increase beyond the reach of many. The it’s only $5 here or $20 there is what drives up the cost of everything in a never ending movement towards a nanny state. Auto deaths will never be reduced to zero no matter how many safety devices you put in a car or fir that matter any device. Turning off a car is a normal procedure and nothing that should require another safety device to do it for you.
There will be unintended results where the car shuts off at speed due to a sensor failure.
5
Industries move slowly to correct themselves, in one of two ways.
With Americans, we make the decision fast but implement it slowly on a starvation diet of little to no resources.
In Japan, they take forever to make the decision and only make it once everyone is aboard and in complete understanding agreement after endless discussion, and once that decision is finally made it's implemented fast.
Let's hope the decision and the implementation are fast, because, in many instances, innovations in computer management of hardware fail ugly.
In the interim, if it were me, I'd be demanding automakers hand out inexpensive carbon monoxide alarms to the owners of their keyless cars.
17