Toyota sued in carbon monoxide tragedy

my wife loves the smartkey in her hycam. never takes it out of her purse. just as innovative as the remote control for was when it first came out. or the numeric code on the car door. not having to fish in her purse for the key? priceless. btw, i wouldn't want either of our parents to have one, but they don't have computers or cell phones either.

 

I cannot think of any human-made product that meets this standard.

 

Well, in regards to this issue, EVs should be required by law.
After all, they won't run the risk of CO poisoning if someone leaves it on

 

Perhaps there should be a competency test before allowing someone to drive and own one. We don't allow just anyone to fly an airplane without training. :madgrin:

Re: Lawsuit because the system could allow someone to leave the car on.

If this lawsuit is successful, I am going to sue the Genie™ corporation because my GF leaves the garage door open at least once a month. There is nothing wrong with the opener, she just forgets to operate it to close the door. I am surprised that I have any tools left. :madgrin:

 

Since modern cars have seat sensors to tell you to put on the seatbelt and enable the passenger side airbag, why not tie that info into the system? If after five or ten minutes of no one sitting in the car and it's been left on, the computer turns off everything! Gives you enough time to run inside for something, but prevents potential problems.

 

Haha, good point. My number is too high, I agree.

 

The Smart Key is a convenience. It is much easier to use than a conventional key or remote fob.

Likewise attached garages are a convenience, but are a much greater risk than Smart Keys. Attached garages greatly increase the risk from fire and carbon monoxide poisoning. In addition, they cause increased levels of inside air pollution due to the fuels and chemicals commonly stored in garages. Why wasn't the attached garage cited as the major cause of this tragedy?

Tom

 

Because some greedy, unscrupulous lawyer can't figure out who to sue under such circumstances?

(oops, my bias is showing again. And just for the record, I don't believe all lawyers are greedy & unscrupulous. In fact, I once found one I liked )

 

While the Smart Key is a convenience and often having two small children with me a much nicer alternative to fishing for a key, there are plenty of other conveniences in the modern car. Automatic transmission is a convenience that many take for granted, how many people can drive manual? Power steering and power brakes are also modern day conveniences yet people see as needed. Also here in NYC Carbon Monoxide detectors are not just a good idea but they are a law in residental homes and it doesn't matter if it's a one family home or a mega apartment building. So it is possible that this lawyer was breaking the law.

 

if u don't like it, buy something else.

god, people. why is this so hard? If i EVER come across a 'new' piece of technology and cannot figure it out...i return it, don't buy it, go 'back' to what i can figure out, etc. sheesh. can we as a species really be this stupid? are we so brainwashed that thought and common sense are not our responsibility?

 

I'm waiting for the time when some fool sues a manufacuturer for still using the key system because a majority of the population is used to keyless and they forgot to take the key out.

 

They most certainly can figure out who built the house, but that company or individual won't have the deep pockets of a car maker.

In all homes, or just in those with combustion appliances?

I haven't heard any indication whether or not this home had any other possible sources of CO. In my region, many homes have none.

 

Here in NYC I'd say 99% of homes have appliances that operate off gas, even the few homes that have electric stoves have gas heat. A home owner has to actively apply for an exception with the building department.

 

... and I've never lived in a dwelling with gas. While numerous neighborhoods do have it, especially those developed since the 1980s, much of the Pacific Northwest was developed as all-electric.

My CO detector is solely for an auxiliary wood stove, which wasn't used last winter.

 

I have a CO detector on my boat. The small interior volume of a boat cabin makes it easy for CO to accumulate, and we have several potential sources: diesel engine, diesel fired hot water system, and alcohol cooking stove.

The voice system on the CO detector sometimes makes rude comments about my cooking: "WARNING! CARBON MONOXIDE. WARNING! CARBON MONOXIDE."

Tom

 

But the same thing would happen with a conventional car: if you don't leave the internal lights on "off" or "door", then they stay on indefinitely. I for one like the smart key. I find it pretty intuitive that you hit the "power" button and then you see all the lights and guages shut down. That's confirmation for me that the car is now off: I've never relied on inherent engine noises. I also like how I don't have to take the key out, and can automatically lock the car just by tapping the outer handle when I exit. My previous car had a remote...which I wound up using more to lock it just to be sure I wasn't going to lock myself out. Before that, I had a conventional car...which I always made a point to put the keys in my pocket and then hit the door lock button. So the main advantage I see, apart from convenience, is the utter inability to lock yourself out of the car.

Here are my contentions with the article:

"The suit contends a keyless ignition violates federal safety standards because the engine can continue to run indefinitely even after a driver walks away with the key fob that communicates with the car's computer."

This is a safety feature so that the car can still operate if your keyfob's battery discharges. I also don't see how this violates current safety standards, as you can easily walk away from a conventional car with it still running (just don't turn the ignition off). So really, the only difference with a conventional ignition and a smart key is whether you like turning a key to "off" and then taking it out....or if you can master hitting a button to "off".

"Lawyer Noah Kushlefsky has filed a wrongful death suit in Brooklyn Federal Court accusing Lexus maker Toyota of failing to install a "shutdown" switch on the cars - which can be turned on or off at the touch of a button."

As another poster noted, all Toyotas and Lexuses already have this switch. It's called the "power" button and it's really easy to use. I guess the only new feature that might be considered is if the car should shut itself off if after 30 minutes of not sensing the key. But then you have that previous problem of whether you're actually still in the car driving, and it's just the key needing a new battery.

In short, I don't see how there are anymore inherent risks with using a smart key vs a traditional....if someone can't figure it out (even my grandmother has no problems with her smart key Lexus), maybe we should just envoke Darwin.

 

You can't save everyone from themselves. :madgrin:

 

It is an advantage.
But the only time I came close to locking myself out of a car was with the SKS. The fob was in a jacket pocket I had taken off during the drive, and left in the car when I got out. Thought I was SOL for a moment, until I noticed the doors had unlocked themselves.

Personally, I wouldn't pay extra for a smart key system, but won't bemoan it if standard, or part of a package I wanted.

How has the security been with it? The only potential disadvantage I see with it, going forward, is hacking it. A determined crook is going to steal your car, but it might get too easy for kid looking for joyride.

 

so sad.

 

At least with the Prius, it won't let you lock the car if the keyfob is still inside the car (it can sense whether it's inside or outside). I noticed this when I first bought my Prius and had both keyfobs in the car. When I exited and tried locking the car, it would just beep at me since the other keyfob was still in the car.

As for security, I've read it's no less secure then a regular lock. It's equally as hard to try to duplicate an electric key...and if someone is really determined, they'll just break the window or some such. At least I'm reassured that my Prius also has SOS...so if it is stollen, it can be tracked.