Here's Why You Should Lock Your Doors While Driving

Atlantis50 · 15-07-2015 12:15PM #1

I tend to press the central locking button as soon as I sit into the car before setting off on a journey.

I've never been comfortable with the idea that anyone could just randomly walk up to the car and open my doors and do whatever while I happen to be sitting in traffic.

Two court report articles in the Irish Examiner today and yesterday show why:

In the case linked below, a man 'with a propensity for violence' just sat into the passenger seat of some random guys car as the driver was waiting in traffic and hijacked it:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/man-with-propensity-for-violence-jailed-after-attack-342556.html

In yesterday's court report, a jealous man attacked his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend while the couple were sitting in his car in Cork city. Presumably, the door was unlocked (no mention of breaking glass) as the driver was kicked, punched and had his keys taken and thrown in the River Lee:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/man-assaulted-exs-partner-with-keys-as-he-sat-in-car-342343.html

Do you lock your doors while driving?

Foxhole Norman · 15-07-2015 12:21PM

I do, only because the yoke gets in the way of my arm :pac:

mailforkev · 15-07-2015 12:21PM

My car does it automatically as you move off so yes, the car is always locked.

I certainly wouldn't drive around an urban area or city centre with my car unlocked. Windows stay up too.

No point helping out a kindly scobe who wants to rob your stuff.

Chris_Heilong · 15-07-2015 12:24PM

Mine has automatic locks also, as soon as I turn the engine on or drive above 10km/h.

Atlantic Dawn · 15-07-2015 12:25PM

Not possible to drink 16 cans in an hour, why do the judges let this rubbish go untested...

The court heard that Martin, who was raised by his grandmother, drank 16 cans of beer in one hour before he jumped into the passenger seat of Noel Comer’s vehicle while it was stopped at traffic lights.

biko · 15-07-2015 12:26PM

I don't lock my doors. I estimate my chances of being hijacked less than the chances of someone needing to get inside because I was hit and am unconscious indie the car.

NaNaNa1 · 15-07-2015 12:27PM

Was out for dinner with my friends a few weeks back and some madman tried to get in the back of my car as we were coming out of the carpark. He stood at the front of the car and was banging on the hood like mad and then went to get into the back. At the time the central locking was dodgy and we couldn't do anything but rev and zoom off (as quick as a Micra can) don't think I was ever as quick to bring the car to a garage to have the locks looked at. Scary stuff.

MrWalsh · 15-07-2015 12:31PM

Yeah, I had a drunk muppet try to get into the car on the Quays after leaving the Temple Bar carpark one night, but I always locked them anyway.

I also leave enough space in front of me in stopped traffic such that I could exit the traffic queue and drive up onto the pavement or across the other side of the road if I had to in the (admittedly unlikely) event of some lunatic attacking the car.

CreepingDeath · 15-07-2015 12:33PM

biko wrote: »

I don't lock my doors. I estimate my chances of being hijacked less than the chances of someone needing to get inside because I was hit and am unconscious indie the car.

I do way up that possibility.
But if it's a serious enough incident that I'm unconscious, then it warrants someone to smash the window.

Anyone with kids will have child locks on usually.

I do remember seeing in a film a car that automatically unlocked the doors if it detected a collision. Not sure if that's standard behaviour or not, and tied in with airbag deployment.

imitation · 15-07-2015 12:33PM

Only at night really tbh, although a nutjob can strike at any time, not a fun prospect !

Sam Kade · 15-07-2015 12:38PM

NaNaNa1 wrote: »

Was out for dinner with my friends a few weeks back and some madman tried to get in the back of my car as we were coming out of the carpark. He stood at the front of the car and was banging on the hood like mad and then went to get into the back. At the time the central locking was dodgy and we couldn't do anything but rev and zoom off (as quick as a Micra can) don't think I was ever as quick to bring the car to a garage to have the locks looked at. Scary stuff.

Only in America :rolleyes:

biko · 15-07-2015 12:56PM

CreepingDeath wrote: »

I do remember seeing in a film a car that automatically unlocked the doors if it detected a collision. Not sure if that's standard behaviour or not, and tied in with airbag deployment.

Some BMWs has this function, not sure what triggers the unlock.

BMJD · 15-07-2015 12:57PM

mine automatically unlock when I put it in Park, which is very annoying and potentially dangerous

Asmooh · 15-07-2015 12:57PM

nobody even tries to get into my car, but im a scrary looking person that looks like i will kill you the first thing when you even come close :P

Special Circumstances · 15-07-2015 12:58PM

Got auto locking enabled on her car.
I do sometimes lock my own if I'm in a dodgy part of limerick but I think scummers prefer easy targets. And what can you do to dissuade genuine mental cases in the very unlikely chance they take a shine to your car?

endacl · 15-07-2015 12:59PM

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

Mine has automatic locks also, as soon as I turn the engine on or drive above 10km/h.

How do you do the second if you haven't done the first?!?

YbFocus · 15-07-2015 01:08PM

Asmooh wrote: »

nobody even tries to get into my car, but im a scrary looking person that looks like i will kill you the first thing when you even come close :P

I doubt it in an mx5, Connor McGregor wouldn't look scary in an mx5

slimjimmc · 15-07-2015 01:17PM

endacl wrote: »

How do you do the second if you haven't done the first?!?

Freewheel downhill!
I think he means you can start the engine and the doors will automatically lock. However if you unlock the doors while the engine is running then the doors will automatically lock when you get up to 10km/h.

seamus · 15-07-2015 01:26PM

Hijackings and random assaults on private drivers are extraordinarily rare. That's not a good reason for locking your doors. It's overcautiousness bordering on paranoia. There was a short spate of hijackings last year, but that was most likely a single gang who thought it was a good way to get some easy cash, and then realised it's not.

However people walking up and removing stuff from passenger seats (women's bags in particular), is relatively common, and is a good reason for locking your doors.

Other drivers with reasons to be targets are taxi drivers and delivery drivers whose vehicles will contain valuables would also be advised to lock their doors.

Interslice · 15-07-2015 01:33PM

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

Mine has automatic locks also, as soon as I turn the engine on or drive above 10km/h.

Always think this must make for some slightly awkward moments with hitch hikers.

Wright · 15-07-2015 01:34PM

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Not possible to drink 16 cans in an hour, why do the judges let this rubbish go untested...

Skull it

Pov06 · 15-07-2015 01:45PM

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

I do, only because the yoke gets in the way of my arm :pac:

Same here :pac:

Sobanek · 15-07-2015 01:47PM

I always lock my doors as I had a junkie get into my car once. Not a pleasant experience to say the least.

Raminahobbin · 15-07-2015 01:58PM

80% of the time I do. I sometimes forget. And if I have my windows down, it's only by a small amount, not enough for a hand- had an encounter at a traffic lights a few years ago.

I had my driver window down about half way, and some IDIOT came out of nowhere and thrust his hand into the car at me to try sell me one of those car air-fresheners. He gave me such a fright...but he also gave my dog a fright, who was sitting on the back seat obscured from his vision by tinted windows :pac:

She went ballistic, it sounded like a I had a fecking monster on the seat behind me

yer man fell backwards on his arse with the shock of the demonic eruption, lights changed and I headed off.

Pretty sure he learned his lesson about sticking his hand into cars, and I learned my lesson about keeping the window open at a safe level.

Del2005 · 15-07-2015 04:06PM

biko wrote: »

I don't lock my doors. I estimate my chances of being hijacked less than the chances of someone needing to get inside because I was hit and am unconscious indie the car.

If your unconscious in a car you shouldn't be removed unless the vehicle is at risk of fire/further damage or the emergency services take you out, on a back board, you've no idea what type of internal injuries could be made worst by moving someone involved in an RTI.

endacl · 16-07-2015 01:16AM

Del2005 wrote: »

If your unconscious in a car you shouldn't be removed unless the vehicle is at risk of fire/further damage or the emergency services take you out, on a back board, you've no idea what type of internal injuries could be made worst by moving someone involved in an RTI.

And the services that would need to get to you wouldn't have any problem getting to you. A little thing like a locked door wouldn't slow them down.

Voodoomelon · 16-07-2015 01:24AM

I programmed my car to lock automatically upon taking off, turned it off after a few days. Headwrecking.
The negatives far outweigh the benefits, at least in my area.

dancingchicken · 16-07-2015 01:34AM

Atlantis50 wrote:

the driver was kicked, punched and had his keys taken and thrown in the River Lee:

If someone throws my keys in a river he'll be going in after them!
I never lock my car when I'm in it. I'd be much more worried about having an accident and not being able to get out of the car than someone opening the door.

SuperS54 · 16-07-2015 05:57AM

I always lock the doors when driving, the potential benefits far outweigh the risks. In any accident that leaves me unable to unlock the door the door will likely already be open or jammed shut so the lock is of no consequence.

Had some looney road rager try to open my door a couple of years ago, followed me off the motorway and pounced when I was stopped at traffic lights, to this day I'm 100% convinced he got the wrong car or was just crackers as I'd not had any interaction with his vehicle. Very glad the door was locked though as it didn't look like he would be able to see reason through the froth. Had a drunken idiot jump on the back of a mates motorbike when stopped in traffic, bike fell over and idiot ran off, few hundred euro in damage.

keithclancy · 16-07-2015 08:34AM

Had a woman jump in the passenger seat of my car on Patricks street in Cork and tell me to take her to the train station.

Also had some loolas trying to open peoples door randomly in Cork a few times, apparently this is some new door opening phenomenon.

In Dublin you'd have some fella saying ... AH HAYORE BUD ... ANY COINS.

Driving to Calais you had all sorts.

Point being when in the car you have limited mobility to do anything so stopping someone doing something is much more difficult, especially if they get in the back seats.

Nah ... I'll keep my doors locked.

Special Circumstances · 16-07-2015 09:25AM

keithclancy wrote: »

Had a woman jump in the passenger seat of my car on Patricks street in Cork and tell me to take her to the train station.

Also had some loolas trying to open peoples door randomly in Cork a few times, apparently this is some new door opening phenomenon.

Had a Mazda 626 years ago, seemed to be a magnet for drunk wans trying to get into it at traffic lights around club finishing up time in Cork. I suppose an Avensis would have had the same drunk-wan-magnet effect. A bit worrying actually that they would hop into anything that vaguely looked like a taxi on their own...

Here's Why You Should Lock Your Doors While Driving

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