A method of operating a vehicle management system in a vehicle, the vehicle including an operator zone and a passenger zone (282a, 282b), the method comprising: detecting that the operator zone is unoccupied; determining that the passenger zone is occupied while the operator zone is unoccupied to identify that the vehicle is in a non-driver occupied mode; receiving, from an electronic key of the vehicle, a vehicle lock request signal, the vehicle lock request signal sent in response to pressing of a first button on the electronic key of the vehicle; and in response to receiving the vehicle lock request signal while the vehicle is in the non-driver occupied mode, disabling a vehicle lock actuator (140, 140a, 140b, 140n) of the vehicle to prevent locking of a door of the vehicle; and providing an audible or visual alert for notifying the vehicle operator of the non-driver occupied mode; receiving, from the electronic key of the vehicle, an actuator override signal allowing the lock actuator of the vehicle to operate irrespective of vehicle occupancy state, the actuator override signal sent in response to pressing of a second button on the electronic key of the vehicle, the second button being different than the first button; and in response to receiving the actuator override signal, activating the lock actuator of the vehicle to lock the door of the vehicle. detecting that the operator zone is unoccupied; determining that the passenger zone is occupied while the operator zone is unoccupied to identify that the vehicle is in a non-driver occupied mode; receiving, from an electronic key of the vehicle, a vehicle lock request signal, the vehicle lock request signal sent in response to pressing of a first button on the electronic key of the vehicle; and in response to receiving the vehicle lock request signal while the vehicle is in the non-driver occupied mode, disabling a vehicle lock actuator (140, 140a, 140b, 140n) of the vehicle to prevent locking of a door of the vehicle; and providing an audible or visual alert for notifying the vehicle operator of the non-driver occupied mode; receiving, from the electronic key of the vehicle, an actuator override signal allowing the lock actuator of the vehicle to operate irrespective of vehicle occupancy state, the actuator override signal sent in response to pressing of a second button on the electronic key of the vehicle, the second button being different than the first button; and in response to receiving the actuator override signal, activating the lock actuator of the vehicle to lock the door of the vehicle. disabling a vehicle lock actuator (140, 140a, 140b, 140n) of the vehicle to prevent locking of a door of the vehicle; and providing an audible or visual alert for notifying the vehicle operator of the non-driver occupied mode; receiving, from the electronic key of the vehicle, an actuator override signal allowing the lock actuator of the vehicle to operate irrespective of vehicle occupancy state, the actuator override signal sent in response to pressing of a second button on the electronic key of the vehicle, the second button being different than the first button; and in response to receiving the actuator override signal, activating the lock actuator of the vehicle to lock the door of the vehicle.