Striking automatic features have made people get excited and passionate about luxury cars. An automatic door lock system is one such attribute. Cars locking by themselves have become common and frequent in our lives. It is not a cause for alarm as they are not detrimental to the car or the occupants. It happens post ignition and after a set period or when the car reaches a certain speed limit. It helps prevent heavy damages during accidents and acts as a shield for preventing your beloved children.
Though the speed sensing automatic door locking system provides certain benefits and nullifies the need for manual locking, it can pose a significant issue in different life scenarios. For example, when you are stranded in the middle of a road extremely far from a city. How can you go ahead handling such a situation? How can you find help in such situations?
Let us discuss and understand better.
Steps You Must Follow When Your Car Has Locked Itself
Every problem associated with a car will have a defined solution. Professional support and timely action will help you open the car without any damages. Here are a few ways you can consider.
- Think about the spare key: Looking for a spare key is the safest option when your car has been locked. You have to let yourself relax, think and discuss with your family members, and try to remember where you have kept the spare car key. You can also try getting a temporary key if your car dealer can arrange for it.
- Call for road assistance: Road assistance is the best option if you own car insurance. Insurers can reach out to help you by safeguarding the car and get a towing service. They will use flatbeds or dollies if the situation demands.You can reach out to them by making a phone call or registering for the service in their app if you have installed it on your phone.
If you have a CAA membership, you can opt for theCAASCOAuto Roadside Assistance, which ensures prompt lockout servicethat can get the issue sorted quickly in this regard.
Do it yourself techniques
Here is a technique that you can try for yourself. However, it requires certain items that you may not have handy. You can contact a friend, look for help by typing “locked out of my car”or “lockout service near me” in your phone to get help, call someone from nearby and then try the technique.
- Take a deflated blood pressure cuff and slide it onto the top corner of the driver’s door.
- Start blowing the cuff and continue until a gap gets created and a provision for opening the vehicle starts appearing.
- As a precaution, do not over-expand the cuff. It might break the door and lead to severe damages.
- Through the gap that is created, insert a thin object such as a steel cloth hanger, measuring scale, etc.
- Once inserted, turn and squeeze it around until you strike the unlock button.
Having a car lockout kit can be helpful in case you are faced with such a situation. It is not always likely that there will be a car lockout service near you.
Common Mistakes Car Owners Make with Auto-Lock Cars
There are a few common mistakes that we tend to make while handling auto-lock cars that lead to a vehicle lockout:
- While stepping out for an urgent meeting or getting out to handle an emergency, you might keep the key inside and lock the car unknowingly. It happens more often when you are extremely careless.
- The central lock system can also detect and function based on any partially closed trunk or doors.
- Leaving children in the car and taking the key out with you can cause serious trouble if you miss the key somewhere. Children get trapped and suffer in the closed space.
- Engaging in a phone conversation while stepping out of the car can distract you and you could forget the key inside, leading to an auto lockout.
- Giving the responsibility to lock your car to someone else can also be a mistake if they are not aware of handling the automatic door lock system
Breaking The Car Window During an Emergency
No matter how frustrating the car lockout is, breaking the car window is certainly a challenging and dangerous task. The windows are tempered and designed with the latest technologies and the best standards to act as a perfect windshield. Considering your safety and the cost of rectifying the damages, it is better not to try breaking the window.
However, during an emergency such as your kid or a pet trapped in a closed hot car for a long time, you need to break it without a second thought. Try to get the assistance of the police or do it yourself carefully following these steps.
Tips On Breaking the Car Window During Emergencies
- Get a sharp tool such as a hammer, screwdriver, or a stone with a pointed edge. Use a tool that is strong and that you are comfortable with for ensuring safety.
- Choose the window far from the occupant to protect them from getting affected due to the broken glass pieces.
- The window is extremely hard and strong at the center. Therefore, try to target the edges where the glass is relatively weaker and easy to break at the same time.
- Do it only if you are confident, else try getting the fastest assistance possible to resolve the issue better.
Conclusion
Auto-lock cars can be a boon as well as a bane. It depends on how you use the car and how carefully you operate the different parts. Ensure you read the car manual and understand the different options and features to get accustomed to using the car safely at all times!