Our focus on safety first finally nets its own category

Safety first

We added a new vehicle safety category this week. It was a curious oversight given that we consider our primary purpose to be safety first — literally keeping people safe or at least feeling safe.

Beginning with drivers being stranded with a dead key or upset about an unrecognized warning light, everything we’ve posted is aimed at either getting you into and driving your car or providing useful information to take to a repair shop. And even help deciding if a repair shop is needed at all!

What finally tipped the balance was multiple contacts with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the problem we’ve uncovered regarding a back-up exit process on the rear door of Rivian vehicles, a process needed if power is lost in the vehicle.

Our ongoing frustration with the industry turning to electronic latches is what truly brought the idea home. First and foremost, the very idea of creating a system that requires a second system as back-up seems blindingly foolish to us. And this ignores the additional costs incurred both the builder and the buyer.

We have been on this particular issue for a decade, and its an issue that has cost lives. We’ve often wondered if a dead key fob has ever left a driver compromised. We suspect that the answer is yes, but it is very difficult to connect the dots.

Someone unable to exit a vehicle in the heat or in a fire is an obvious and serious safety issue.

And as I write all this, I am reminded of a comment I got on YouTube that one of our videos had saved a child’s life. I was able to engage enough (rare on YouTube) to discover that indeed, a woman was able to get her child out of a car stuck in the hot sun with a key fob not working.

On we go. Safety first…

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The material on these pages is provided for information sharing purposes only and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business, nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Remember — only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

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