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The Dangers of Keyless Car

The automotive industry has developed at a rapid pace over the last few years and the latest innovation is keyless entry for your car. While there are undeniable benefits to this new system, there are also significant dangers involved with using the system.

What is a keyless car?

Unlike the normal central locking of a traditional car key, a keyless fob uses radio signals to communicate with your car, meaning it can be opened from within your pocket or your bag, and the engine can be started by a button rather than inserting the key. This adds a lot of convenience for drivers because you’ll waste less time if your keys are buried and it’s raining, or you have your hands full.

A mechanic lifting a windscreen wiper

The dangers of keyless entry

The main issue with keyless cars is how susceptible they are to theft. Because the key only needs to be close to the car to open it, thieves are able to tap into the radio signals and fool the car into thinking the key is a lot closer than it actually is. They can then get in and drive away with your precious car!

As well as the risk of theft, if you leave your car key in a bag that belongs to someone else without realising it, and they take that bag somewhere different to where you were going, you won’t be able to restart the engine once you arrive home. You won’t know something’s gone wrong until this point because the engine will never stop while you’re running, even if it can no longer sense the key.

How do I avoid problems with my keyless car?

As well as following the same maintenance and servicing procedures as traditional key fob cars, investing in a simple security system or obstacle on your driveway to act as a deterrent for thieves can go a long way to keeping your keyless car where you want it. As well as this, keeping your key fob away from windows and doors, preferably in a drawer, will block the radio signals the thieves use to steal your car. And always make sure you know where your key fob is before getting in your car – even if it’s just making sure it’s in your own bag.

Obviously, there are some issues with keyless cars but, with suitable precautions, they can be a viable alternative for drivers and the technology is developing all the time to improve security.

Have you got a safety precaution for your keyless car which works really well? Join the debate in the comments below to share your experiences!

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