Locked your keys in the car? Don’t worry, if you have, you’re not alone.
In fact, AAA, a federation of motor clubs that offers emergency road services, reports that around 4 million Americans lock their keys in their car each year [1].
In truth, it’s a lot easier to do this than you might think, especially when life gets busy.
For instance, imagine you are rushing to your child’s soccer game. You just raced out of a meeting and run to your car. However, in your hurry, you forgot that you were on snack duty, so you run inside. Unfortunately, you mindlessly locked your keys in the car. All that time spent putting together snacks for nothing!
Fortunately, that’s where this firefighter’s advice comes in.
Locked your keys in the car? Try these tips when there isn’t an emergency
When you have time to try different solutions to get into your car, try the ones that will cause the least damage and have a higher chance of successfully getting into your car [2].
Check each door
Unfortunately, part of being human means we all have that instinct to panic when things go wrong. In situations like locking yourself out of your car, you can easily forget to check the most obvious things.
“While this may seem painfully obvious, it has worked for me on more than one occasion. A member of the public calls us for assistance; we arrive, we check the passenger door, and—thanks to a faulty driver’s-side lock—gain access. People get tunnel vision when they’re stressed and forget the obvious,” says professional firefighter Andrew Northshield [2].
Above all else, we’re human. And humans, well, make human mistakes – especially during stress-induced situations. For this reason, this should be your first point of action.
Call for help
Sometimes we let our egos get the best of us. However, it’s never a bad idea to ask for help, especially when that ‘help’ has the tools necessary to get your car unlocked.
Northsheild encourages drivers who have been locked out of their car to call for help. In particular, these are the groups that should be your first phone call:
Someone at home
Often, there’s a spare key lying around somewhere. If there’s someone at home or someone nearby – see if they can grab your keys for you!
Local fire or police department
If there’s no one at home, give the closest fire or police department a call. Often, they provide this service and if they don’t, they will let you know who to contact.
Roadside assistance program
I mentioned that the company AAA specialized in roadside assistance. Well, they aren’t alone. There are numerous roadside assistance programs across the country. Most notable, All-State Motor Club, Good Sam Roadside Assistance, AARP Roadside Assistance, and AAA Roadside Assistance [3].
All of these groups offer roadside help such as towing or opening a locked car. For this reason, it’s a good idea for you to become a member of one of these groups.
Forcible entry
What if you’re in an emergency? There very well could be a reason you need to get into your car ASAP. Maybe your child or pet is still inside. Or, maybe you need to rush to help someone in need. Well, don’t worry – there’s always forcible entry.
If you’re near a hardware store, take a walk or taxi over to it. You’ll need a few items:
- One long metal rod
- A few plastic wedges
- a single flat air bladder with a ball-style pump
Ares Moto Garage created a video for you to follow when using these tools to break into your car:
Keys Still Locked in Your Car? The Final Method
Maybe you didn’t have much luck unlocking the car doors. And, you would rather not break your window and pay for all those repairs.
Lucky for you there is one more method you can try. Tie a ‘tightenable’ loop in the middle of a string and loop it around the interior lock.
“Work the string into the door at the corner, flossing it back and forth to get it in between the weather stripping on the car and the door frame. Then move the two ends of the string down in a see-saw method until the loop is at lock height. Lasso the loop around the lock and pull it tight. Move both ends of the string back up to the 12-o’clock position, gently tug, and pop the lock up,” says Northshield [2].
First and Foremost: plan ahead
Ultimately, trying to get into your locked car can be avoided altogether.
Of course, this happens to all of us occasionally – and that’s okay. We’re human after all! However, if you’re someone who is locked out of your car often, it could be time to reevaluate this pattern.
“Having a spare key to your car doesn’t take much effort, skill, or money. Some people zip-tie a spare key in a secure, easily accessible location, but that may not always be an option if you worry about theft. If your vehicle has a trailer hitch, some products essentially turn the hitch into a small safe with room for a few keys,” Northshield shares as a last piece of advice.
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Sources
- “What to Do When You Lock Your Keys In the Car.” The Street. Brian O’Connell. July 9, 2018.
- “How to Get Keys Out of a Locked Car.” Popular Mechanics. Andrew Northshield. November 2020.
- “Best roadside assistance services 2021: Breakdown and towing plans. ” Top Ten Reviews. Tamsin Oxford, Tim Leonard. February 2021.