locked car doors whilst driving?

Question

somebody told me that i should lock my car doors when i get into my car because somebody could try to rob/hijack me when i stop at a junction or traffic lights....

however i live in quite a safe area and i worry that if i was to have an accident, if the doors were locked people wouldn't be able to open to door to get me out.

what do you think is best to do?

after reading some of the answers so far it does seem like a good idea to lock the doors, maybe i will lock when i come to a stop and unlock when im on the move.

here in england, i do think it is more likely that someone would crash their car rather than having it hijacked because you hear about road accidents all the time.

Answer 1

I automatically lock myself in my car every time i go out...just because you live somewhere safe doesn't mean that there isn't a nutter close by...
I know what you mean about being trapped inside if you have an accident-i think about this too, but weighing it up i go with the locked doors for safety...

Answer 2

You may live in a safe area but you must at some time drive through unsafe areas. Often you won;t know it until someone pinches your hub caps.

Getting hijacked is an extremely remote possiblity. It's not in the UK crime culture (ok it happens, but only rarely) and also, if you're wearing your seat belt, they couldn't pull you from the car. The biggest risk is someone reaching in and grabbing your handbag or any parcels. This used to happen a lot in Slough about 5 years ago, where the illegal immigrants imported the practice and the local yobs copied them.

It is Not a good idea to decide to lock when stopped and release when moving. I can guarantee that you'll forget to do this sometime.
You should be aware that at traffic lights bad people will open a door and get into the car, or reach in and nick your handbag etc., in the space of a couple of breaths. It's amzingingly fast and you wouldn't react in time to stop them.

Also, it may considered to be driving without Due Care if Mr Plodd spotted you doing it at the traffic lights. (and playing with the central locking button!).

If you "lock" the doors, but not "deadlock" them, every time that you use the car then you'll be safe enough.
A door which is "locked" but not "deadlocked" cannot be opened from outside but can be opened from inside.
See your car manual for more information on this.

Normally "locking" means pressing the key fob button (or internal central locking button) just once, but "deadlocking" involves two pressings on the key fob or internal central locking button.

That way you and your passengers will still be able to open the doors from the inside if they have to escape in an emergency. Also, if you're incapacitated or unconcious then the fire brigade will just cut open your door to get you out anyway.

This time of year your biggest danger will be from drunks and selfish brain-dead, inconsiderate driving . I've seen more on Boxing Day this year than in the last six months combined.

Be safe and have a Happy New Year.

Answer 3

lock yourself into your car.
Your car is fitted with a pendulum switch usually on the OSF wheel arch by the drivers feet, if an EU car it is on theNSF.
This switch is connected to the fuel pump and the ignition system and the central locking.
In the event of an accident or bump, the pendulum activates and the door locks pop and the fuel is cut, So you won't be locked in.
Aslo when you pull the interior door handle even if the door is locked it relases the exterior handle..
Cars are safe like that.
Never open your window to strangers, always get them to come to the passenger door not the drivers door. And your life is worth more than your car you can always get a new car you don't get a second life

Answer 4

ok its a good thing locking your self in the car because it is well kown for car highjackers to rob your car this way . it happened not long ago near me a lady came to a set of lights and the robber ran to the passenger side and opened the door so the lady who was driveing the car got out ran to the passenger side to shut the door and the robber got in and took off and left the women standing there shocked . why they do this now is because the way the cars are made to day are anti theft its harder for them to start the car and most cars have trackers in them now . so the theif needs the keys so dont leave your keys near the window or by the front door because they will brake in to your home for them best thing to do is take your keys to bed with you put them on the table in your room lol . The other thing is that if you are worried that the emergancey services cant get to you if you are trapped they will get to you through the windows by brakeing them or they will use a machine called a hurst its mainly used to cut people free out of road traffic accidents the reason i know this is because i work along side the emergancey services on the motorways . and a other tip hide the hand bag aswell because the theifs will rob that at junctions

Answer 5

There seems to be an awful lot of paranoia being expressed in the answers here. Car jacking/hijacking in the UK is a very rare event and only tends to happen with the expensive and desirable cars, and if someone is intent on robbing you then they are just as likely to smash the window rather than fumble with a door handle. If it makes you feel better to lock the doors then do so - but it's really not as bad out there as may imagine. The media hypes it up more than it deserves.

Answer 6

If your car has central locking, the locks almost certainly will come off in the event of an accident. In any case, any rescuer will, if need be, break a window with whatever is to hand or a size 10 boot. If you're nervous, by all means lock your doors and keep anything attractive out of sight (i.e. don't keep your handbag, mobile, keys etc on the seat beside you).

Answer 7

I always lock my doors when I'm in the car....I just think I'm more likely to have someone open my door and steal my handbag from under the seat or rob me or whatever than have a crash, and if I do crash the fire brigade can cut me out, if the locks don't work....I just feel better having my doors locked, particularly if I'm at traffic lights or crawling along slowly at rush hour

Answer 8

Hi,

There seems to be a bit of a contradition about this.

I personally live in a fairly rural area, so do not lock the doors when driving, on the safety side of things.

However, I get to travel to New York a bit, and always lock the doors as automatically as winding the windows up.
Not just for the "smash & grab merchants", but also for the pesky windscreen washer folks that occupy nearly every set of traffic lights & beg for $2 for something that you don't need or want.

So I guess it all depends on where you are.

Cheers,
Bob

Answer 9

I understand where the other answers are coming from. However, from an emergency services and rescue viewpoint, it can make things much easier if the door was unlocked. I know of one case recently where a motorist stopped and pulled a guy from a car that was starting to burn. The guy was semi-conscious and had a broken arm. Unlocked doors unquestionably saved him from becoming a crispy critter.

However I am not going to knock the opposite answers as I can see the merit in door locking too.

Answer 10

First, all newer (2005+?) vehicles in North America have automatic locks when the driver reaches a certain speed to protect from (1) people and children inadvertently grabbing the door handle while in motion; and (2) to prevent carjacking while temporarily stopped.

Simply put, if there was something you could do to prevent a traumatic event, why wouldn't you? It's just a very good idea.

Besides, if you were a burglar or carjacker, wouldn't you look to trusting people or neighborhoods as a means of making your job easier?