Locked Out of Your Car? What to Do First

What to Do First

Begin by trying each door and the boot. A rear door or the boot may still be unlocked even when the driver door is shut tight, and a boot that opens from outside can give a way into the cabin through the back seats. Try the passenger doors as well, because a door that was never shut firmly may look locked while it is only resting on the latch. This check takes under a minute, and it settles the trouble more often than people expect.

Next, think about where the spare key sits. A spare at home helps only when someone can bring it to you, so ring that person before you ring a locksmith when they can reach you. When no spare is close by, ring 07367 634032 and say where the car stands and what took place. We travel to your car in Rednal, Birmingham, and we will set out what happens next on the call. For the full lockout service, read the locked out of car page for Rednal, Birmingham.

If a Child or Pet Is Locked in the Car

When a child or pet is trapped inside the car, ring 999 first. This is an emergency, and the emergency services are the right people to ring first. A car warms up fast in warm weather, even with the windows shut and the car parked in shade, and a child or pet shut inside a locked car is at risk within minutes. Never wait to see whether the heat rises, and never wait for a locksmith to reach you first.

Remain beside the car while you wait. Shade the car when you can, by standing between the sun and the windows or by holding a coat over the glass. Speak to the child through the window so they stay calm, and tell the emergency services just where the car stands and who is inside. Once the emergency services are on their way, ring Emergency Auto Locksmith Rednal on 07367 634032 so we know what took place and can help when we reach you.

Locked Out at Night

A lockout at night calls for the same moves as a lockout in the day, with one added rule: get somewhere safe first. Stand in a brightly lit place, clear of moving traffic, and keep your phone charged and in your hand. A car park, a petrol station forecourt, or a lit shop front is safer than a dark stretch of road, and it is easier for a locksmith to find you there.

The phone is answered day and night, including weekends and bank holidays, in Rednal, Birmingham B45 and the districts around it. When you ring at night, say just where you are, naming the road or the car park, and stay on the phone when you feel unsafe. When you are locked out near home, a neighbour may be able to wait beside you, and that is worth asking for while you wait.

Keys Locked in the Boot

Keys shut in the boot are a common lockout, and they often hold a plain answer. Try each door, because the boot release may work from inside the car when one of them is unlocked. Some cars also carry a boot release button on the fob itself, so press it once and listen for the catch. When the boot opens, the keys are back in your hand.

When the boot stays shut and the doors are locked, never try to force the boot lid. The lock and the hinges are stronger than they look, and forcing them brings harm that costs more to mend than the lockout itself. Ring 07367 634032, say the keys are in the boot, and stay beside the car. We travel to your car in Rednal, Birmingham B45 and open the boot, and we will check that the boot lock still works before we leave.

Engine Running and Locked Out

A car that locks itself with the engine running is a frightening moment, because the car is burning fuel and the keys are inside. Never try to force a door or window, because you risk harm to yourself and harm to the car, and a broken window will not stop the engine. Turn your mind to the call instead: say the engine is running when you ring, so we know the job is pressing.

When a child or pet is inside a car with the engine running, ring 999 first, as with any child or pet shut in a car. For any other case, ring 07367 634032, stay beside the car, and keep clear of the exhaust. We travel to your car in Rednal, Birmingham B45 and open it, and the engine can then be switched off in the normal way.

What Not to Do

Never force a door or a window open. Forcing a door can bend its frame and break its seal, leaving it unable to shut or lock again. Forcing a window down can shatter the glass, and shards can cut hands and face. The harm from a forced entry costs more to mend than a locksmith visit, and the car stays insecure until the repair is done.

Never smash a window to reach your keys. Glass can cut you, the repair costs more than a locksmith, and a smashed window leaves the car open to rain and theft until it is mended. Never push a tool through a window gap to reach the lock, because the wiring and the lock parts inside a modern car door are easy to harm and dear to replace. With no spare key and no open door, the right move is a phone call, not a tool.

• Never force a door, window, or boot lid
• Never smash a window to reach keys left inside
• Never slide a tool through a window gap toward the lock
• Never ask a passer-by to force the car open
• Never leave the car open and walk off to seek help

What Happens When You Call

When you ring 07367 634032, say where the car stands, what took place, and the make and model of the car. We will give a clear quote before work starts, and we will set out what the quote takes in. When you need a new key rather than entry alone, we will ask for proof of ownership, such as the V5C logbook and photo ID, before the key is made. Read the proof of ownership page for the papers we ask for.

Stay beside the car while you wait, and keep your phone with you so we can reach you when the plan shifts. Have your ID and V5C ready when you hold them with you, because the check is quicker when the papers are in hand. When we reach you, we open the car, check that the locks still work, and make sure you can lock the car again before we leave. When the lockout came about because a key was lost, the emergency auto locksmith page for Rednal, Birmingham sets out the key replacement service as well.

• Citizens Advice: consumer guidance

What This Means in Rednal, Birmingham

Lockouts in Rednal, Birmingham B45 happen in ordinary places: outside a house on a residential street, in a station car park, outside a shop, or at the edge of a country park. Each place calls for the same response, and each place is one we travel to. A car parked at a station or in a shopping area cannot be left open while you walk home for a spare, so staying beside the car and ringing for help is the right move wherever you are.

When you are locked out in a car park, read the locked out in a car park page for Rednal, Birmingham for the moves that fit that setting. When you are anywhere else in Rednal, Birmingham, or in one of the districts we serve around it, ring 07367 634032. Say where the car stands, and when a child or pet is inside, ring 999 first.