OMG!...

Yes, it is a big problem! I always wondered why they never put a sensor on the air inlet to the engine that measures for Carbon Monoxide?

You can say "well just turn it off" all you like, but the reality is its not that easy. And what about a keyfob that is in a purse and the start button gets pressed? See not that easy!

jfkmk wrote:
I don't think the car manufacturers were trying to conceal anything, I think they just couldn't conceive of anyone being that dumb. They've been proven wrong!

Let's face it, if we're that concerned about a senior citizen not hearing the car running and leave it on as a previous poster suggests, they should probably bad giving up their license.

One issue I've noticed is that vehicles I've had with regular keys give all kinds of chimes if you open the door with the key in the ignition or ignition running.

My dads lexus with the keyless go does NOTHING if you open the door with engine running, no chime, no buzz, nothing to clue you in that the engine is still running and you left the key in the ignition and the car is still running. IMHO a big oversite and an easy fix to lots of the issues.

and I'll bet most of us are used to car that chimes with the door open and engine running.

Greentreena wrote:
A modern emmisions controled car doesn't put out the carbon monoxide needed to kill a human. Yes you will get seriously ill but dead before you run out of fuel... seriously unlikely.

tell that to my buddy that is a EMT and you'll get a very long lecture. he's been to several CO poisoning from modern cars, luckily responsed quick enough that a trip to ER saved them, but several were within minutes of dying, victim was completely unconcious when he arrived.

and, no it didn't take hours either. maybe 30 minutes, and not in a completely closed garage either.

better than cars of old, or portable generators, but still dangerous.

Apparently today's newer, smarter cars are expected to do the thinking for their owners. Sheesh! If people are too dumb to know that they need to shut off their engines when they park and walk away, they deserve to be weeded out of the gene pool.

YnotTurbo wrote:
Don't leave the car running in the garage. End of problem...

easy to say, but have you ever listened to some of these cars run. My dad's lexus rx350 is so quite, you don' realize it is running even in the garage.

I have driven it, not used to the keyless go, and parked it and one time left the key in the car rather than my pocket when in the garage, got out and then realized after a minute or so the car was still running, even when walking in front of it. If the heat/ac, radio, lights are off, no visible indication the car is still running.

i can see someone in a hurry, or distracted, etc. getting into trouble.

opening the door didn't give any warning, didn't shut off the engine, nor did closing the door again.

IMHO there is no reason warning bells shouldn't go off if a door is open with ignition on, my 2015 GMC does that, the 2012 lexus does nothing. and then have the engine shut off after say 30 seconds if the door is opened then closed and the car doesn't move.

YnotTurbo wrote:
Don't leave the car running in the garage. End of problem...

Agree. There is this little thing called Personal Responsibility that people used to have in the past.

You can still die because of carbon dioxide poisoning, even if there is plenty of oxygen in the atmosphere.

Hydrocarbons burning make carbon dioxide primarily. Carbon monoxide is due to incomplete oxygenation while burning.

Even with exhaust gas recirculation, you still produce carbon dioxide, actually more of it.

A modern emmisions controled car doesn't put out the carbon monoxide needed to kill a human. Yes you will get seriously ill but dead before you run out of fuel... seriously unlikely.

Just goes to show you this country has too many lawyers!!

Heck, several years back when my mom got older, she left the car running, with the keys in it, in the driveway many times. She lived a couple hours away from me. When I went to visit her one time, her next door neighbor stopped me when I first arrived at her house to tell me he walked over and shut off her car several times---with the keys in it. She simply 'forgot' to shut it off. That vehicle had keys!!
It was the beginning signs that it was time for mom to a) stop driving and b) to stop living on her own.
It never would have occurred to me to sue someone because my elderly mother was becoming 'less aware' and forgetful!!! Ridiculous!!!