Keyless cars have been causing carbon monoxide poisoning, states The New York Times. This is due to the fact that people are so accustomed to using keys that they forget to turn their car off when their keys are with them, allowing excess amounts of carbon monoxide to be released. The car is keyless to start, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a key. The key is a fob key, or a keychain, that sends a signal when close to the car that allows you to turn it on with the button.

When a car is not turned off properly, carbon monoxide continues to be released. This has caused multiple deaths since 2006. MoneyCNN says that since 2006, there have been 41 deaths and at least 45 injuries caused by the carbon monoxide. 70-year-old victim Jeanette Colter and her husband died because she left her keyless ignition car on in the garage and the fumes got into the house. This is one of the many times this has happened to people who leave their keyless ignition cars on.

The New York Times says that some people thought that when they took the key with them, then the car would shut off. Car automotive engineers have been working to fix the problem by adding warnings, such as continuous beeps to alert the driver if they left their car on. Another solution is having an automatic shut off for the car. Keyless cars make up half of the 17 million cars bought in the United States annually.

These toxic fumes have killed many and injured more, when this problem could be prevented if people shut their cars off properly. Some car companies use the fob key to turn the car off. For example, if the key is too far away from the car, the car automatically turns off. However, people still need to remember how crucial it is to press the off button in their car, and not to have to turn the key instead.