What to Do If You Get Locked Out of Your Car?

Thousands of drivers lock themselves out of their cars every year, and you can be the next one. Although a car lockout is impossible with new keyless technology, you can still find yourself standing outside the car with the keys nowhere to be seen. What will you do in this situation? Whether you are moving on a highway or coming back home from a mall, a lockout happens without warning. Not to mention, it is very frustrating. However, lockouts are now a thing of the past as there are many ways to get out of them. With smart locks, you can even open the car door with a single tap on your phone. While with older cars, you can try simple tricks to get your keys back. Below are the five ways you can rely on while stranded at the corner of the road.

1. Roadside Assistance
Perhaps the best way to tackle a car lockout is professional help. Whether it is an emergency locksmith near you or roadside assistance, most of them are available immediately. Even if you have road assistance as a part of your insurance, you can still hire them. However, when you buy a new vehicle, they already have a professional company included in the warranty. Even if you don't know that, you can find their phone numbers may be found on window stickers. However, roadside assistance might take a little longer to reach you. Therefore, your winner here is a professional locksmith. A locksmith can save a lot of time by providing numerous services related to a car lockout.

2. Call Someone In your Family
People are normally hesitant when it comes to asking for help from strangers. So it's a good idea always to call a family member for help. Even if they don't know how to get you out of the lockout, they can still support you in a lot of ways. They can call an emergency locksmith near you, or in the best case, they can bring the duplicate key to solve the problem. Even if they don't have a duplicate key, they can still bring some other tools, like a wedge, to manually open the car door lock.

3. Try Unlocking your Car with Your Shoelaces
Are you finding it difficult to trust a roadside assistance company? Well, if it's not an emergency, there are several other ways through which you can open a car door easily. And the most common method among them is using your shoelace. However, this method will only work on vehicles that have old-age locks. Untie your shoelace and create a slipknot in the middle with a loop of the size of your index finger. Then place the lace at the corner of the driver's door and create a gap between the door and the window. Try placing the lace inside the opening until the slipknot is in the door seam. Next Then, hold the laces in both hands and move them back and forth. This causes the lace to move further down and towards the car door lock. Once the lace reaches the lock, carefully place the loop over it and tighten it. When you achieve a firm grip, move the laces upwards, which will unlock your door.

4. Unlock the Car Using a Pump Wedge
A pump wedge is an autofill tool that can be purchased easily from the market. This is exceptional equipment that is widely used for widening doorways to reach locks. All you have to do is slide the wedge in between the opening of the car door and window. After that, you will have to inflate to create an opening. However, you must be very careful while doing that, as overinflation can cause severe damage. Once you achieve a significant gap, you can use a simple wire to create a hedge at one corner of it. Pull the lock by pressing the lock button with the hedge.

5. A Spare Key
Car lockouts can happen at any time. So, the best practice is to keep a spare key by calling an emergency locksmith near you. Although, you can get a spare key through your car dealer as well. But it will require proof of vehicle ownership.

Either way, a car lockout is very frustrating, but that doesn't mean you should panic or get frustrated. It is a stressful situation, but it won't lead you anywhere. Before taking any measures, it is considered the best idea to call a locksmith or roadside help to get you out of this situation. However, if you are not in an emergency, you can simply ask for help from a friend or try other tricks to unlock the door mentioned in the above article.