U.S. lawmakers are speaking up after the number of carbon-monoxide deaths from keyless vehicles continue to rise.
In most keyless vehicles, the fob has to be inside the vehicle to start the engine, but it doesn't have to remain in the vehicle to turn it off. Thomas Baker, an attorney with Michigan Auto Law, explained that safety issues arise when drivers mistakenly exit the vehicle without turning off the engine.
"Walking away and you've got the fob in your pocket and you think your car has been shut off and it hasn't...people are in a hurry to put groceries away or they're bringing home formula for a baby that's crying. They've got the fob in their pocket but if they've never manually turned the car off, the car will continue to run," he said.
One of the biggest safety concerns with cars being left running in carbon monoxide poisoning.
"Many homes today have garages that are attached to the house. So as the car runs, it's an internal combustion engine. It releases carbon monoxide which is odorless and unfortunately deadly. You don't know it's there, and you breathe it in, you fall asleep and you ultimately die," Baker explained.
The PARK IT act, Protecting Americans from the Risks of Keyless Ignition Technology, was introduced by the Senate in February and again by the House in early June. The legislation would require automakers to provide an automatic shutoff for keyless internal combustion engines when the car has been parked for a designated period of time. The length of time has not yet been determined.
"I think it’s going to depend on the type of vehicle. If you’ve got a small, four-cylinder car, that going to emit less carbon monoxide than a diesel pickup truck," Baker said.
The bill would also require automakers to add a feature to stop the vehicle if the driver exits while it's still in gear, aiming to decrease the number of roll-away reports.
Both bills are still in committee. Sponsor Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, said in a statement that this bill will hold the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) responsible for protecting drivers.
“NHTSA’s inexplicable failure to act has led to fatal consequences,” said Blumenthal. “This legislation will require NHTSA to do what it should have done nearly eight years ago — protect American drivers and families from injury and death by finalizing some basic safety standards that compel automakers to address the risk of carbon monoxide and roll-aways associated with keyless ignitions.”
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.