Keyless cars are increasingly popular in the United States — more than half of the 17 million new vehicles sold each year have keyless ignitions. According to a recent article in the New York Times, carbon monoxide poisonings caused by keyless cars that are unwittingly left running are a growing concern.
The Times notes that because no federal agency tracks this statistic, the exact number of deaths related to carbon monoxide from keyless cars that are left running is unknown. According to their research, there have been 28 deaths and 45 injuries (including irreversible brain damage) since 2006, but the Times notes the figure could be higher.
The Times profiled a number of the victims of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by keyless cars left running — many of whom were elderly. Because drivers turn on and off the car with the push of a button, they can easily forget the car is running when they exit the vehicle. And today’s quieter engines can make it easier to forget the car is actually running. Carbon monoxide — an odorless and colorless gas — then seeps into the house and can overcome those within the home causing death, irreversible brain damage or severe memory loss.
In 2011, the Society of Automotive Engineers issued recommendations that carmakers “install an externally audible or visual alert” when all of the car doors are closed, the engine is running and the key fob is not present, or that carmakers install an automatic shutoff for the engine. In 2011 the traffic safety administration made similar recommendations noting that the cost to the industry would be less than $500,000 a year to modify the car’s software. The auto industry opposed these proposals and no regulations are yet in place.
Some automakers have taken action, but there is inconsistency across the industry despite the low cost of making adjustments. GM issued a 2015 recall and was able to retrofit the cars, at a cost of $5 per car, with an automatic shutoff.
If you own a keyless car, fire department representatives interviewed by the Times recommend installing a carbon monoxide alarm in your garage to alert you to the presence of the poisonous gas.
To learn more, read the entire article online.
