Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Linked to Keyless Ignition Fobs

It seems that the driving public now has another problem to worry about. You know those cars that don’t have a key anymore and all you have to do is push a button to start the  engines?  Well, those same cars that have keyless ignitions are now being blamed for at least 3 deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning.  If you’ve come across the story, you know that one of the deaths occurred in New York and the other two in Florida.  In each case the  drivers did not shut off their engines after arriving home and parking their cars in their garages. Now, how in the world does this  happen?  Apparently, the keyless ignition (called a fob) is  supposed  to shut  off the engines after a specified time period of inactivity.  But, the engines did not shut down and the homes filled with carbon monoxide killing three people and seriously injuring a fourth person. Should the drivers have been responsible for shutting down their engines? Are these deaths the direct result of negligence on the part of the drivers?  Certainly, drivers are responsible for the operation of their vehicles.  But what happens when that responsibility is taken away from them?  What happens when you’re supposed to rely on some gadget to do what it’s supposed to do in order to keep you safe?  Think about it for a minute.  The auto makers want us to believe that their cars are safe.  Their ads tell us that for the sake of convenience, safety, or whatever reason, we should trust what we are told and place our lives in their hands.  So, how does someone forget to shut down their engine?  Answer: they depend on their keyless fob to do its job.

About R.J. Hill, P.E.
R. J. Hill is the author of two blogs: R.J. Hill Consulting and the Descendants of James Alexander Hill. Mr. Hill is a registered professional (mechanical) engineer with 42 years of experience, 37 years in private practice. Please visit www.rjhill.com to see the kinds of forensic investigations that Mr. Hill performs.

2 Responses to Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Linked to Keyless Ignition Fobs

  1. yoon says:

    a greatly warning article that wakes up drivers just following new electronics trend in autos,
    esp. for Hundai’s Grandeur( in north america, Azera) owners. The car is now allegedly blamed for some unknown gases leaking inside, cited by majority of owners in south korea. Many of the owners are suspicious of the maker’s new direct injection engine giving off the hazardous gases after bad combustion. A gas of them was identified as carbon monoxide, its quantities being way much over gov. regulating figure.

    you may already figure out what the maker would have done over a year since first complaints-
    same as any other makers in the globe keep waiting and hiding until the last minute.

    even now the case is still undergoing a controversial issue in south korea.

    as i know of, the same brand is already on sale in north america.
    i’d hear from american owners if the brand(Azera 2012) is ok in north america.

    from south korea.

    Like

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