General Motors said it supports a bill—the Park It Act—that would require keyless cars to automatically shut off after a specific period of idling, according to a new report from The New York Times. The bill, introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to adopt the new rule, which would curb injuries and deaths related to carbon-monoxide poisoning. Â
Keyless cars aren’t new; however, their proliferation—more than half of new cars sold in the U.S. have push-button, or keyless, start, according to the Times—has befuddled some owners, causing injuries and deaths. It’s often older owners who have had the most trouble, inadvertently leaving vehicles running in attached garages.Â
A May report from The New York Times found 28 people died and 45 injured from carbon-monoxide poisoning from keyless vehicles since 2006. After the Times published its report, Blumenthal asked the agency to adopt a proposed 2011 rule that called for the requirement of additional alerts installed by automakers; however, automakers opposed the rule. Since its May report, the publication has discovered five additional fatalities from keyless vehicles.Â
General Motors has installed an automatic shut-off feature in 31 of 39 keyless Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac models. In a statement to the Times, General Motors said that the legislation relates its dedication to advancing automotive safety. However, the automaker did not say if it would introduce the safety feature to its entire lineup.Â
Implementation of safety features on keyless vehicles from other automakers varies. Ford has instilled an automatic shut-off on keyless cars since 2015. Others, such as Toyota and its Lexus luxury brand, perform three external beeps and one inside to alert the driver the vehicle is still running. What’s interesting is almost half of all fatalities attributed to keyless vehicles happened with Toyota and Lexus vehicles, according to the paper.
Comments
Rediculous legislators… Da Nang Dick the liar. Typhoid Mary… typical… why not try growing your business and increasing market share and keep your politics to yourself….,
4 comments but 18 thumbs down… what a joke…
This would not happen if you have electric car.
Or if you had a key. A real key. I do, and I don’t lose 40% of my range in the winter either.
As one of those “befuddled older owners”, who, in spite of my supposedly advanced mental decline (sarc), has a simple question: Exactly why do we need “keyless start”? Exactly what is its advantage over the old fashioned but simple and reliable ignition key? It appears we now need intrusive new laws to further encroach on our personal freedom, always to protect us from our supposed stupidity!
“Exactly what is its advantage over the old fashioned but simple and reliable ignition key?”
Because keyless start is even simpler to operate, and is even more reliable than the traditional key/tumber assembly because it has less moving parts.
There you go.
Grawdaddy: Perhaps, but in 40+ years of driving in many different cars, I have never had a mechanical failure of the ignition key. I have had multiple failures of so-called “more reliable” electronics. And I did not need a Federal law to turn off my engine for me.
That’s funny, but in just the last 15 years I’ve been able to start and shut off a car without key, I’ve had the key jam in the lock rendering the car unable to be started, and I’ve had the tumbler become so worn that even a frigging popsicle stick could turn the lock.
Don’t sit there and tell me a key lock is more reliable than a micro switch; a ‘new fangled’ electronic technology from 1932 that is by far more reliable than a conventional key lock.
I bet it`s cheaper for the manufacturer, than a traditional key type switch!