Before I have a keyless entry installed just to lock the doors when the ignition is on & unlock when turned off, is this a waste of money? I usually forget to do this manually. I am concerned about the doors opening in an accident, not theft or carjacking. No kids are in the car. I don't think the factory alarm which I have is able to do it. Is it worth it. Thanks. Brian.

 

Well, first I'd like to say that I HATE aftermarket alarms. Seen WAAAAY too many electrical problems that stem from aftermarket electrical crap. Not to mention diagnosing said problems are even a bigger PITA due to the lack of a half decent electrical schematic (which are great and plentiful for factory setups)....

Having said all that - I'm not sure what your actually asking. Do you want to be able to open the doors in the event of a collision or not? I think the factory keyless setup is just fine. I mean its not like the doors will just fly open if you hit something if they aren't locked... The door wont open unless either the inside or outside handle is pulled. I've seen cars broadsided and the door didn't come open.

 

You answered my question. I thought doors were more secure being locked when driving from popping open in an accident. Thanks.

 

Locking the doors DOES give you an added measure of protection in a very severe accident. There's a reason they show "red" when unlocked - we're supposed to lock them before getting underway. This article does a good job at explaining why. http://www.cartalk.com/content/does-...safer-accident

Keeping doors unlocked to get out after an accident is a myth and is something debunked in every basic Transportation Engineering course. The big danger is being ejected during the crash and not getting out after it. (Particularly if you are worried about a crash that would be so severe that you'd get locked in the car!) If this scenario worries you, you can carry a center punch or car window breaking tool in the center console. They work great.

Other good news - These cars were at the top of the safety charts when they were made. But the bad news - These cars had one of the highest fatality rates when they were made. (They perform much better and can get in to more dynamic crashes than less safe cars.)


I would think that using hypnotism or a life coach to train the driver to lock the doors would be easier and less expensive than installing an aftermarket kit. You may also check out the last door closed feature in your owners manual. You may be able to enable this feature on the car and hit the lock button before you get in the car. This way, it will automatically lock when you shut the door.

 

Great info, I will check the owners manual again. I never carry the remote b/c i never lock the doors when i am out. I am not worried about being traped, I thought it just thought it might pop open easier.