Keyless ignitions are standard features on most new vehicles today. In fact, automakers have stated that they plan to phase out traditional keys in the next few years. Currently, tens of millions of vehicles have keyless ignitions.
With this feature, drivers use a wireless key fob to lock, unlock and start their vehicles. While convenient, keyless ignitions open the door to the possibility of exiting the vehicle with the key fob without turning the vehicle off. If a driver leaves a vehicle running in a garage, the vehicle could emit enough carbon monoxide — which doesn’t have a color or scent — to kill the driver if the driver’s home is connected to its garage.
This is especially true with quiet, hybrid cars. The engine might not be running when the car is first parked, but will come on later as the car’s batteries run down. Even many non-hybrid cars today have extremely quiet engines, the sound of which can be virtually undetectable when the car is parked.