What Should People Do When They’ve Lost Their Car Keys?

Losing one’s keys can be a very scary moment, especially if someone finds themselves in a less than familiar part of the city. It’s in those times that one needs to know what to do in that event and quickly! Here are the basics of what to do when someone loses their car keys.

Don’t panic. This is a common piece of advice, but it’s also the best thing to remember when one realizes that their car keys are gone. Panicking only clouds the mind and leads a person to make more mistakes or to act in a hasty manner and do something that they might regret.

Retrace your steps carefully. Keep in mind that losing a set of keys does not mean that they’re going to necessarily stay lost. The last time the keys were used was the last time the car was used, so they have to be somewhere nearby. If it’s been hours since the last time the car was used and a person was hiking on a trail, for instance, then the likelihood of them finding their keys does go down, but it might not be a bad idea to check anyway.

If the keys were lost in and around a shopping center, grocery store, or another place of business it can’t hurt to go in and see if there’s a lost in found. The keys may even have been turned into customer service.

Call the police. Although it is unlikely, someone might have discovered the keys and might know which vehicle it matches. Many keys have an unlock function that causes the lights in a car to flash when it’s unlocked. A person can press the button at the end of a parking lot and see if any lights flash when the button is pressed. They then have everything they need to access the car.

This scenario isn’t very likely but it can happen, so it is a good idea to contact the police and let them know what happened. They will keep a lookout and might be able to help in finding the key set.

Look in the car! This might seem like the obvious thing to do, but more than one person has accidentally left their keys in the car. If there is anywhere that you sometimes put the keys in the car or anywhere that they might have fallen out of your pocket and onto the floor of the vehicle, then see if they might be in there. If they are, a simple call to a locksmith will get them back!

Call an emergency locksmith. If everything else possible has been done, but no keys have been located, then it’s time to take that measure to get the car back on the road quickly: call in a professional! Many cities now have emergency locksmiths where all they do is come to the rescue in situations like this. They’re also usually operating around the clock, so if all else fails, give them a call!