Many new vehicles these days are being made with keyless ignitions – push buttons that start a vehicle instead of a key. Standard on many new vehicles, keyless ignitions may present a big safety concern if the driver walks away with the fob and forgets to turn off the vehicle. The result is accidental carbon monoxide poisoning which can kill a person after only a few breaths.
Despite the fact that cars with keyless ignitions give audible warnings, it is still possible for someone to walk away from their running vehicle. In fact, not only is it possible, but it has already happened a number of times. An elderly couple in Illinois was killed when the carbon monoxide from their running Lincoln MKS seeped into their home from their attached garage. Attorney Ted McNabola of McNabola & Associates, LLC is representing the family of Rina and Pasquale Fontanini in a lawsuit against Ford.
McNabola states: “If you know it's a safety risk and you have an easy way to fix the problem, then why wouldn't you do it on all cars? Why are there cars still being purchased by the public that have this risk?”
Since most vehicles with keyless ignitions are not equipped with an automatic shutoff feature, it only takes one momentary lapse of judgment to potentially cost a person his or her life.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed a rule four years ago that would require a brief, piercing alarm to sound if the vehicle were to be left running. It has yet to be implemented. Meanwhile, drivers are still at risk.
To get in touch with a Chicago injury lawyer at McNabola & Associates, LLC, please call (312) 888-8700.