Locking yourself out of your car can be a very distressing experience. If you are in a rush, for instance, it might waste a lot of time to try and find the help you need to gain access to the car. Remember, there are times when you will need to have new keys made, which can sometimes take a lot of time. To reduce the chances of this happening, you can try out some of the tips below:
Using RFID keys
If possible, you should consider changing your car locks to make them use RFID technology. This way, the doors will automatically open once you approach them, which mean that you don’t need to worry about having to keep taking them out of your pocket. This has been shown to be an effective method of preventing such lockouts, since you only need to put your keys in your pocket and forget about them. In order to successfully change the locks to RFID compatible ones, you will need to consult a locksmith who is conversant with this technology.
Have the right approach towards the handling of extra keys
It is very important that you have the right approach towards the use of extra keys as a new car owner. If you are buying a brand new car, chances are that you will be given more than one key for the car. However, if you are getting one second hand, this might not always be the case especially if the previous owner had changed the locks to the car. If they had owned the car for a very long time, the chances are that the keys will have been lost as well.
Either way, you should make it a point of having at least one or two spares in addition to the keys you use regularly. This will help in the following ways:
• You will not have to change the locks once you lose one set of keys
• It might be easier for you to resolve lockout problems. If you lose your keys, you will only need to find one of the extras instead of having to call a locksmith to come and solve the problem. In most cases, this is the simpler and less time consuming option.
• You have more than one person use the car without having to give them your own set of keys, which also reduces the chances of being locked out if they lose theirs.
If you don’t have extra keys for the car, you can try to resolve this by having duplicates made. Given the complexity of modern keys, this is a delicate process that has to be handled by professionals in order to be gotten right. For this reason, you should always insist on having the keys duplicated by a body that is known to offer quality services.
Once you have the duplicates, you will then need to figure out how to handle them in order to make it easier to access them when you need them. For instance, you should identify safe areas that are easily accessible to you, and then have the keys stored in such locations. If your commute is mainly between work and home, you can have one set of keys in your home, and one set in a secure location at work. This way, if you are ever stranded between the two places, you can simply make arrangements to travel to either to get the extra keys. Alternatively, you can have a trusted individual keep one set of keys just in case.
Make your car keys conspicuous
Most of the time, people lock themselves out of their cars simply because they lose their keys. A simple remedy to this is by making your key a bit more conspicuous. For instance, you could decide to get a magnetic key holder for the car. There are many online vendors who can make custom key holders, so you don’t need to resign yourself to using the regular ones. Using such services, you can get one to match your personality cheaply.
Make handling of your car keys more predictable
The other way to avoid losing your car keys is by treating them in the same way throughout. For instance, if you often keep them in your trouser pockets, you should make it a habit to put them in the same pocket after you lock the car. With time, this becomes an automatic motion, which means that you will find yourself doing it automatically. It dramatically reduces your risk of losing the keys.
In summary, losing your car keys can have numerous devastating consequences. If you are a new car owner, this is likely to be even worse, since you may be at higher risk of losing the keys and not knowing what to do about it. The above are some of the measures you can take to avoid or forestall this.