Thursday 9th. According to SMH, female driver nearly died after her Audi Q3 seized up and her smart key locked her in searing heat of 41 degrees. The journalist David McCowen reported that the driver could not open the windows or doors and was finally rescued after attracting attention of passers-by. I do feel sorry for the driver, however the comments were something else again. There were calls for the entire smart key technology to be scrapped, issuing drivers with emergency hammers like the ones Emergency services have and one bright spark suggesting that all drivers with the smart key option should leave a spare key in the car. In my car that would totally defeat the purpose as when MB detects the key inside of the vehicle it simply will not lock. Even dropping the key in the boot when unloading groceries will not allow the driver to close the boot. I am unsure if Audi has the same function, but I am sure that most manufacturers allowed for that type of emergency.
Speaking to other people in our office those driving Fords and other makes of cars that have the keyless option we all know how to override and switch to manual mode. So why is this story getting everybody hot under the collar? The other point is the suggestions of carrying a brick or a crowbar to break the windows. Given the size of the average car cabin and the swing you would need to exert enough power to break the new windows, I’ll say good luck. Watching the hotheads at Wakefield and I have seen what happens to windscreens when idiots see the red mist and end up upside down. Brick or a hammer from a distance of 1-2 feet, you have no hope!