 Poster: A snowHead
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@LaForet, I’ve had similar scenarios - an example is where I’ve taken my wife to the station and she has instinctively picked up the fob along with her phone from the canter console, put in handbag, and walked off. I’ve then driven somewhere else only to discover the key is making its way among the district line when I’ve gone to lock the car that is turned off. Luckily the Mercedes Me app on my phone does allow remote locking but issue is not being able to restart the car to go home.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Ozboy, do Mercs not have valet keys? Valet keys are also emergency keys. The Audi one is two part: a mini plastic key that is designed to be small enough to live in a wallet and it's cut to the same shape as the normal keys so you can use it as an emergency key to lock/unlock the car. Inserted into the "fob" part, that lives in the glovebox, it will also start the car.
Only issue is you only get one - so if you're a couple I guess you have to decide who's most likely to be careless with the original key 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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The more I hear about this, the dafter it sound. Though old fashioned keys are not actually idiot proof. My OH once drove me to the station to get to work in London. Normally I walked, but that day I was late and had an important meeting. He and the 18 month old were still in pyjamas and having breakfast. I drove to the station - he stuffed the baby in car seat and leapt in beside me. As I stopped outside the station (Merstham, good service into Victoria) the train was drawing in so I leapt out and jumped on the train as it pulled out. With car keys still in my hand. No mobile phone in those day. I threw them out onto the end of the platform and phoned the station when I reached the office. They remembered the man in the dressing gown. Poor bugger had to walk home (10 - 12 minutes) with the baby on his shoulders, covered in Weetabix. Fortunately it wasn't raining. Passed the little suburban parade of shops. And the commuters walking tidily up to catch the next Victoria train. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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He was awfully nice about it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Raceplate, There is a valet key that is stored inside the fob and can be removed. Its primary use is to lock the glove box (with valuables or contraband insured), and keep the key, when handing the car and fob over to a valet parking attendant. Can also be used to unlock the car mechanically if fob is dead / not working by removing a “secret” plastic cover on the drivers door handle to reveal the key hole. The fob can be anywhere when driving and is normally in my pocket. In my previous Merc key had to be inserted in a slot next to the start button and could not be removed unless ignition was off. I prefer the new system as I don’t need to press the button to open the door as it unlocks when I place my hand on door handle if key is in my pocket. (Unless I had previously double clicked the lock button to deactivate the fob)
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@pam w, There are indeed obvious pitfalls but I assume keyless is now the norm for majority of new cars. I can see fobs eventually being replaced by mobile phone apps (one less thing to manufacture) to unlock, start and host the navigation and media playing on the car (latter already here with Car Play with no built in tech in the car - just a screen). Phone / app based “keyless fobs” would be great in car sharing which I think will become more common for short trips in cities when a rental E-bike is not suitable - the user can unlock and start with the app just like a Lime bike. Also be great for car rental where one can just arrive at an airport and go straight to a Pre-allocated car and access via an app - cutting out the need to check-in at the rental desk.
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| Ozboy wrote: |
| @pam w, There are indeed obvious pitfalls but I assume keyless is now the norm for majority of new cars. I can see fobs eventually being replaced by mobile phone apps (one less thing to manufacture) to unlock, start and host the navigation and media playing on the car (latter already here with Car Play with no built in tech in the car - just a screen). Phone / app based “keyless fobs” would be great in car sharing which I think will become more common for short trips in cities when a rental E-bike is not suitable - the user can unlock and start with the app just like a Lime bike. Also be great for car rental where one can just arrive at an airport and go straight to a Pre-allocated car and access via an app - cutting out the need to check-in at the rental desk. |
You can already use a phone to unlock and start Tesla model 3s (possibly other Tesla models too but I only know one person with a Tesla and theirs is a 3). Also because Tesla is more tech company than car manufacturer I believe the security of the system is well designed.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Ozboy wrote: |
| @pam w, There are indeed obvious pitfalls but I assume keyless is now the norm for majority of new cars. I can see fobs eventually being replaced by mobile phone apps (one less thing to manufacture) to unlock, start and host the navigation and media playing on the car (latter already here with Car Play with no built in tech in the car - just a screen). Phone / app based “keyless fobs” would be great in car sharing which I think will become more common for short trips in cities when a rental E-bike is not suitable - the user can unlock and start with the app just like a Lime bike. Also be great for car rental where one can just arrive at an airport and go straight to a Pre-allocated car and access via an app - cutting out the need to check-in at the rental desk. |
This is already standard practice for the big car hire firms in the states, if you are signed up to their loyalty program. We fly to Boston a couple of times a year, at the car hire car park we walk straight to a designated row and pick whatever car from it we want. Keys are in all of them. Dive to barrier, show driving license and on our way. Very convenient. Similar is not starting to happen some places in Europe - although you normally need to pick the keys uo from a kiosk in the car park. Milan Avis is like that, no need to go to the car hire desk at all, your name and location of your car are posted on a screen at the desk so you just head straight to it.
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| LaForet wrote: |
| The obvious approach in an auto would be for the car to refuse to go into [D] from [P] if the key isn't inside. Oddly, a lot of cars don't take this approach, for some reason. Perhaps there's a situation where it would be an issue. |
Attempted carjacking, or theft of valuables in a parking lot, at traffic lights etc.
e.g. Woman has keys in her handbag on the passenger seat, it's summer and all the windows are down or he's followed her to the car and the doors are still unlocked. Thief reaches in through the passenger window or opens the passenger door, grabs handbag and threatens her. She wants to escape so the car needs to be driveable without the key.
With hindsight, I think that scenario overrides my previous comment that not being able to engage drive in an auto is a better idea. Personal safety outranks inconvenience.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Ozboy wrote: |
| @Raceplate, There is a valet key that is stored inside the fob and can be removed. Its primary use is to lock the glove box (with valuables or contraband insured), and keep the key, when handing the car and fob over to a valet parking attendant. Can also be used to unlock the car mechanically if fob is dead / not working by removing a “secret” plastic cover on the drivers door handle to reveal the key hole. The fob can be anywhere when driving and is normally in my pocket. I prefer the new system as I don’t need to press the button to open the door as it unlocks when I place my hand on door handle if key is in my pocket. |
That's exactly how Audi keyless entry works but Audi supply three keys. Two are metal with remote fobs and a removable physical key as you describe, but the third is a two part fully plastic key with no remote functionality. It's referred to as a valet key because it won't allow the boot to be opened if you have valuables in there, but it will also work as a backup emergency key to drive the car if you lose a main key.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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It's simple really. You can't have a car that is already running just cut out because it can't find the key inside the vehicle. The key could malfunction/get dunked in Fanta/fall into a faraday trap. All sorts of reasons why the car might not be able to pick it up. And it would make no sense to cut engine and electronics as you might be doing 70 on a motorway at the time. I don't really get why anyone is surprised that a keyless car will only start with the key detected inside the vehicle, but will continue to run after that regardless of whether it can detect the key (until it is switched off). And despite what many have said here, all keyless cars do so.
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@Raceplate, I was intrigued about starting without the fob and it turns out there is a hidden key hole behind the start button. No idea how easy it is to remove this button. This being the case one could choose to disable the fobs altogether and use the secret physical key holes in the door and starter. That being said I doubt there is a market for an6 year old E-class estate with a showheads and “Jesus is my airbag” stickers on the bumper. The sticker refers to avi airbags and is in humour)
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You know it makes sense.
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Yes, with our BMW I can lock and unlock the car remotely via their app. and apparently, it's possible to call-up BMW and if you can verify your identity, then they can also lock/unlock it for you. They can also disable the car remotely if requested to by the police. I gather that in the USA, regulations allow you to turn the engine on remotely to heat/cool the car as well, but that this is disabled for UK vehicles (this isn't the same as turning on the fans to cool the car but without the engine being on). So all the tech is there for full app-based control and access. Unfortunately, at the moment in the UK at least, you can't turn the engine on for your partner who is stranded in that dodgy multi-storey.
Another upside of keyless is that for some vehicle models, having it means you can't lock your fob in the boot. With keyless, there's a sensor in my 2016 car's boot that picks up the key is there and which flashes the indicators and won't engage the lock if the key is inside. With the standard fob, it's apparently possible to lock it in the boot, according to owners' forum posts. The scenario is that the car is locked, you open the boot with the fob's boot button, then put your fob down on the floor to get something, then close the boot. Oops. Or you're coming out of the gym, open the boot with the boot button, put the fob in your kit bag side pocket, then put the bag in the boot and close it. Oops again. With my keyless you can't do this.
With my BMW, you can always start the car with the fob by placing it against the steering column in a particular place. I understand that this is passive - if your fob's batteries are dead, it'll still work. I can open the door with the fob's inbuilt key, which also locks and unlocks the glove compartment. There's no physical barrel to start the ignition with the mini-key.
Our other car is a small 2007 Peugeot and all I have for that is an old-fashioned physical key. Yes, it works and I live with it. There are times when the physical key is comparatively tedious, but I can certainly understand why some people feel that the keyless thing is more trouble for its downsides than it's worth for its upsides. Personally, on balance, I'd rather have the keyless.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Fri 3-02-23 11:47; edited 3 times in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Can you manually lock some or all of the doors on these cars? (i.e. when you're inside?)
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Poster: A snowHead
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Yes - and they lock automatically when engaging Drive / Reverse. Can be opened manually to let people in.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| LaForet wrote: |
| The scenario is that the car is locked, you open the boot with the fob's boot button, then put your fob down on the floor to get something, then close the boot. Oops. |
I have done exactly this! And was saved by Audi's foresight to not allow the keyless boot to lock 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
and they lock automatically when engaging Drive / Reverse
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Would it be possible for a third party to open from the outside in the event of a crash?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Can you manually lock some or all of the doors on these cars? (i.e. when you're inside?) |
Yes and you can also set them to only unlock the driver's door and nothing else to prevent carjacking.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
and they lock automatically when engaging Drive / Reverse
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Would it be possible for a third party to open from the outside in the event of a crash? |
Yes, they automatically unlock if an impact is detected.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Can you manually lock some or all of the doors on these cars? (i.e. when you're inside?) |
I can also opt to set the car to either open all the doors when unlocking, or only the driver's door. The latter means that someone can't jump in the car's passenger seat when I unlock the doors but haven't yet driven off, or open a passenger door and grab the bag/briefcase I've put on the seat.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Fri 3-02-23 11:31; edited 1 time in total
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| Raceplate wrote: |
| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
and they lock automatically when engaging Drive / Reverse
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Would it be possible for a third party to open from the outside in the event of a crash? |
Yes, they automatically unlock if an impact is detected. |
This is better than relying on the injured person inside to manually unlock. I think it’s a regulation to Auto Unlock. Many modern cars will also automatically alert emergency services if a violent accident is detected
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| zikomo wrote: |
| It's simple really. You can't have a car that is already running just cut out because it can't find the key inside the vehicle. The key could malfunction/get dunked in Fanta/fall into a faraday trap. All sorts of reasons why the car might not be able to pick it up. And it would make no sense to cut engine and electronics as you might be doing 70 on a motorway at the time. I don't really get why anyone is surprised that a keyless car will only start with the key detected inside the vehicle, but will continue to run after that regardless of whether it can detect the key (until it is switched off). And despite what many have said here, all keyless cars do so. |
Exactly, there's various loops they can monitor to ring through ecu logic and determine to keep it running regardless.
Flywheel pulse sensor for cylinder firing, usually monitor to give split below 500 rpm and switch off fuel pump/pressure for safety.
AC feed from alternator field windings to give rpm simulation (how a diesel can have rev counter without petrol ignition pulse) and used for speed analysis too.
Often a independent speed transducer on gearbox shaft too, gives hard data of real speed to ecu and speedometer display
Handbrake on/applied to check if vehicle is potentially immobile, cross check with ABS wheel rates to safety net decision making and determine if safe to quit.
Switch on usually brings fuel pump on to prime circuit, will quit if 500 rpm floor isn't reached within 5 secs mostly. Doesn't need to run pump if no engine action.
There's loads of data they can slice and dice, all manufacturers seem to have determined it's too risky to switch/quit into immobile once running, and moving, which is sensible.
Think if its stalled and no key present you may not be able to restart either, probably more of a manual transmission situation in reality.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@LaForet, our car has the ability to change lanes auto-lane automatically when yeh driver indicates but this feature is not enable in U.K. - only available in Europe. Our can will automatically drive within the lane when adaptive cruise control is activate and allows the driver to take their hand off the wheel for 10
Seconds before sounding an alarm and disabling cruise control. It’s clever as it also knows what is coming up ahead on the road by taking data from Sat nav. Anyone know if Tesla can do the full auto drive in the U.K.?
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@Ozboy At the time the UK regulations were formulated, it would have been sensible to prohibit a car engine from running without the driver inside. When I was younger, it was not uncommon to see reports of a car jumping into gear by itself, which could be fatal for passers-by or cause serious property damage. And even only a couple of years ago, where I live, two cars were stolen from drives in winter when owners left them to defrost and went inside their house to get something.
But now this regulation* seems not to have adapted to advances in technology and certainly prevents us using the facility to remotely turn the engine on to cool/heat the car in summer/winter, preparatory to driving it away. The tech could still disable [D] in an auto and leave the car locked, or turn the engine off after say 20 minutes etc. You could also in theory use the car's inbuilt geolocation to enforce geofencing of pre-cooling/heating to avoid pollution in urban areas etc.
There's certainly an argument for allowing remote engine heating in winter, as all you're doing is moving the process earlier, so it's completed by the time you get to the car. Allowing it won't encourage any greater pollution, as you'll be doing it anyway. And would mean the car's windows were properly cleared before you drove off.
(*Caveat: I'm not a transport law specialist, so this is only what I've read in car forums - happy to be corrected by someone more knowledgeable).
Addendum: Note there are three types of remote cooling/heating:
[1] No engine start. Main battery powers the fans to circulate air, from outside if appropriate (i.e. in summer). That's it - no active engine heating or aircon cooling.
[2] No engine start: A separate system powers a separate heater + fans, or powers the aircon + fans.
[3] Engine startup: Starts the engine (but without anyone in the vehicle and keeps the doors locked and the car otherwise immobilised) and depending on the car's temperature control settings, heats or cools the car with the standard heater or aircon.
Your car's mobile app may well have functions to 'heat' and 'cool' the car remotely, and set a schedule as well. But it can only utilise what the car has available, as above in 1-3. Just because your app has a 'cooling' function doesn't mean it can drive the aircon system - it may just mean that it can take cooler air from outside and circulate it, or if there's residual heat in the system, use that to warm the car.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Fri 3-02-23 18:48; edited 10 times in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I can also unlock either the drivers door on my car, or all of them, with my trusty key. I'm still waiting for a revelation on why keyless cars are a Great Leap Forward.
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our car has the ability to change lanes auto-lane automatically when yeh driver indicates
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 don't fancy that, at all, but I can see it's the way of the future. My car does have some kind of second-class cruise control system but I've never bothered to find out how it works. Might do so before driving down the French motorway but I think it would make me less alert. I have problems with auto-helm on a boat, sometimes. If I have my hands on the tiller or wheel I am automatically "on watch" and alert to what's going on around me. Once on autohelm it's quite easy to drift off into a dream world, especially under engine. All that throbbing!!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@pam w, you may find that cruise-countrol make for a less tiring journey. You still need to be alert to avoid running into the back of someone if you mean that your second-class system Pre-dates radar based cruise control that adjusts your speed to keep a pre defined distance to the car in front. The latter is now standard on many cars including budget rentals that I’ve hired.
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Adaptive cruise control is one of the industry's great inventions. Jaguar's, actually. In conjunction with speed limit recognition, it's probably the best safety advance of the last 15 years.
But it's incredible how many people are scared to use standard cruise control, let alone adaptive. I hope over time, Tesla auto drive and the like will change perception and acceptance of this type of technology and people will start to realise just how much more relaxing it makes all driving, and especially long-distance driving.
The other massive benefit of even basic cruise that people don't seem to get is it stops you accidentally going over the speed limit when there are cameras around, or any other time for that matter.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Fri 3-02-23 12:47; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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@LaForet, I can start my Volvo remotely from the app to warm up/cool down with the doors locked. I don't think there is a legal impediment it is a standard feature.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| zikomo wrote: |
| @LaForet, I can start my Volvo remotely from the app to warm up/cool down with the doors locked. I don't think there is a legal impediment it is a standard feature. |
I did wonder, but on my owners' forum no one can do it for our model of BMW, and the explanation given was that UK regulations prohibited it. Unless you had a separate heater that didn't require the engine to be running. I can cool the car but only using the battery to power the fans, not run the engine to power the aircon. So either it was an urban myth (no surprise on an Internet forum) or the regulations have indeed been updated.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Fri 3-02-23 13:17; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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@LaForet, It is definitely the ability to start and run the engine from the app. You can also control whether the doors are locked or unlocked from the app, and set the internal temperature while it runs.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| sheffskibod wrote: |
Well buy decent all seasons then like Michelin Crossclimate (which are badged as a winter tyre that is also suitable in the summer and or wet weather).
No swapping and almost as good as a dedicated winter tyre.
If your old tyres need changing anyway it’s a no brainer.
If the summer tyres are new / nearly new - sell them on eBay to offset the cost of the all seasons.
Modern summer tyres are completely unsuitable for even a dusting of snow. And have poor performance in low temperatures (less than 7C).
The difference the winters make is quite astonishing.
It’s only France where these traffic jams and chaos crop up time and again. . |
Nope….every winter in Sheffield it snows and every winter you see cars crashed into walls because people think they can drive down a steep hill covered in snow with summer tyres!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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It is illegal under section 42 of the road traffic act 1988 to have the engine running unnecessarily while stationary on a public road. I.e. stationary idling. It is not illegal to leave it running on your drive or in a public park.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| shefmarkh wrote: |
| sheffskibod wrote: |
Well buy decent all seasons then like Michelin Crossclimate (which are badged as a winter tyre that is also suitable in the summer and or wet weather).
No swapping and almost as good as a dedicated winter tyre.
If your old tyres need changing anyway it’s a no brainer.
If the summer tyres are new / nearly new - sell them on eBay to offset the cost of the all seasons.
Modern summer tyres are completely unsuitable for even a dusting of snow. And have poor performance in low temperatures (less than 7C).
The difference the winters make is quite astonishing.
It’s only France where these traffic jams and chaos crop up time and again. . |
Nope….every winter in Sheffield it snows and every winter you see cars crashed into walls because people think they can drive down a steep hill covered in snow with summer tyres! |
Hah yes V true - I am also in Sheffield and was converted to snow tyres about 15 years ago. Been fitting them (or good all seasons) ever since.
It’s often overconfident 4x4 drivers who get going , are very smug for a brief moment but then find they can’t stop !
In saying it’s only France where chaos ensues. , I meant as opposed to other ski countries …
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Well technically Yorkshire would be a "ski country". There is a "ski resort" somewhere near Garigill - think they have one drag lift a and a few runs!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I don't find long drives "tiring" exactly, or not in any way I think cruise control would help. And mine won't be "adaptive", it just dials in max speed, I think. An autohelm on a boat is definitely far less tiring physically - helming for long periods is exhausting. But I am aware of being less in tune with the surroundings.
If I'm in the car I don't find driving any more tiring than not driving. I'm a relaxed driver and driving with a, jerky driver, too close to car in front and cursing other drivers is awful. I have to be utterly exhausted to sleep in the car when being driven. . But I do stop religiously every two hours, if not for long. And stop sooner if I start yawning!
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| shefmarkh wrote: |
| Well technically Yorkshire would be a "ski country". There is a "ski resort" somewhere near Garigill - think they have one drag lift an and a few runs! |
When I was a lad , there occasionally used to be a ski tow up on Jacobs Ladder (steep hill from behind Norfolk Arms pub at Ringinglow village on the outskirts of Sheffield which runs down into the Mayfield Valley - we used to go sledging on it).
It was run by the Hallamshire Ski Club
https://hscski.co.uk/NEWSITE/index.php/Index-php/about-us/history
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After a fun weekend of thermal baths, skiing and Apres Ski, the adaptive cruise control was a blessing during the approx. 4.5 hr drive back last Sunday night.
At first I was „what do I need this for?“ but now I wouldn’t want to be without adaptive cruise control with the auto box on a long drive. Maybe I‘m getting old and will start wearing a hat and „go-faster“ leather driving gloves soon. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@pam w, Our car will basically drive itself in the motorway. I use the technology and find it makes me a better driver, I spend more time and effort looking behind me and around me than otherwise. And definitely feel less tired after a long drive, so think I am in general more alert than without it.
My wife won't touch it. She is a very experienced driver having been a vanwoman in her younger years. She is so steady and calm, it's easy to fall asleep when she is driving! And quite happy in longer drives.
Each to their own. But there is no question that the electronic brain is much quicker to react than the organic version so the base technology is great to have. Whether you use the cruise control/driver assist functions or not, our car will react automatically if a collision is imminent. And I have heard of quite a few examples of where that avoided serious incident/injury.
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In the interests of snowHeads science, i did a little experiment today.
Objective
Determine the operability of a car equipped with keyless entry, in the presence and absence of the key.
Materials and methods
Tests were performed using a 2020 Volvo V60 T8, replicating as closely as possible the conditions typically found in a ski resort.
Fig 1 the test vehicle and environment
A custom-fabricated Faraday pouch was constructed from sheet aluminium, sized to fit the key.
Fig 2. Key and Faraday pouch
Functions tested included locking and unlocking, ignition, changing gears and driving, with the key and when the key was fully enclosed in the Faraday pouch (to simulate the absence of the key, e.g. if left in the chalet on departure day). Functionality of the Faraday pouch was tested by attempting to unlock the car with the key present but in the pouch. As expected, this was unsuccessful, confirming the performance of the pouch.
Results
All functions performed as expected, with the key present. When the key was not present, it was not possible to activate the ignition. However, if the ignition was switched on and the key then removed, it was possible to drive the car, change gears etc as normal. This included engaging park, then re-engaging drive and moving off again. However, if the ignition was switched off, it was not possible to restart the car, until the key was removed from the pouch.
Discussion
As discussed above (ref messages in current thread), the absence of the key does not completely immobilise the car during operation. This contrasts with the author's stated opinion above (that the car would not drive without the key), indicating a potential inaccuracy of memory. This could lead to speculation about the identity of the author (see fig 3 below) but such conclusions are beyond the scope of this small study.
Fig 3
Upon further consideration, the present functionality appears to be sensible and practical, given the potential circumstances where the key may be present, then absent. One shortcoming of the current study is that the author declined to carry out similar tests whilst moving at high speed, so care should be taken when extrapolating these results for example to driving on the autoroute. Another limitation is that one only a single make and model of car has been tested; the author encourages others to carry out similar studies to expand the range of vehicles covered.
Supplemental data
A small add-on study was performed to investigate the functions provided by the "Volvo app". The major feature of this app appeared to be its ability to induce frustration, as every action took a long time. However, it was possible to lock/unlock the car without the key, and also start/stop the heating. The latter function does not (for this particular vehicle) turn on the ignition, but does start a petrol-driven heater. Due to a minor oversight, the possibility of remotely turning on the lights was not tested.
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