5 Tips For Preventing And Dealing With Common Car Lockouts
Lockouts happen all the time. While a lockout service can help you deal with one, it's important you understand some of the basic ways you can avoid a lockout. You can save yourself time, money, and hassle if you follow these simple tips for preventing lockouts.
1. Develop Good Habits and Rituals
Your first line of defense against a car lockout is your own habits. Making sure you pull your keys out of the ignition should become a ritual.
Checking that you have your keys before you lock the door should become second nature to you. A good way to practice this is by making sure you have your key in your hand whenever you exit the vehicle.
2. Get Yourself an Extra Set of Keys
One of the easiest solutions to preventing or dealing with a car lockout is to have an extra set of keys. You can leave a set of duplicate keys with someone you trust, or at a location you can easily access if you need them.
You can even consider multiple sets that you can leave in different places. For example, you can leave one set at home and another at your job. You can also keep a spare on you at all times. Keep a spare in your wallet or purse, or anything you carry around frequently.
3. Invest in Some Roadside Assistance
Many car clubs, insurance companies, and other institutes offer some form of roadside assistance. These programs often have lockout services and other types of assistance, such as jump start service. They usually require a monthly or yearly subscription, but it's worth it to consider them.
4. Keep Electronics in Working Order
If your car door locking mechanism requires a key fob, then always make sure you have a fresh battery. You should also keep a few spare key fob batteries as well.
5. Make Sure You Have a Number to Call
Even for those who take precautions, some situation can still lead to a car lockout. You always have the option to call a service to come to your rescue. A lockout service can help you in an emergency if you find you cannot get into your car for some reason.
For example, even if you have a spare key, you can end up in a situation where the key breaks off in the door or ignition. That's the type of unexpected issue that it's hard to plan for. Keep the number of a lockout service on hand.