Losing or damaging your car key is a situation that may range from a minor inconvenience all the way to a major disaster. This depends on the situation in question and your own interpretation of the matter. However, one thing remains true no matter what – this is a scenario that has to be resolved, the sooner, the better. With that in mind and without further ado, here are the top six tips on what to do if you lose or damage your car keys.
Access your situation
First of all, in the introduction, we’ve already mentioned the scenario in which you lose or damage your car key. However, there’s a major difference between lost and damaged. A damaged key can cause some further damage, while lost kay may be a potential liability. Moreover, you need to assess the situation from a different perspective, as well. Are you in a rush? Is there something that you desperately need that’s left locked in the car? Is there a living being trapped in the car? All of this should dictate your response.
Retrace your steps
Just because you can’t seem to find your keys this doesn’t mean that they’re really lost. First, check all of your pockets, seeing as how, in moments of distress, people are known to put keys even in compartments that they’ve never used before. Also, try to retrace your steps. Try to remember when was the last time that you were 100 percent sure that you had your keys and try to remember all that you’ve done after that. Chances are that the key is somewhere in the vicinity, just waiting to be picked up.
Call for help
Unless you manage to find the keys or fix the issue on your own, you will definitely have to call for some help. This help can come in three different forms. First, if you have some time and a spare key back at home, what you want to do is contact someone to get it for you. Alternatively, if you really have that kind of free time you can go and get it yourself. If you’re in a rush, what you might have to do is ensure that you get to the location in question in time. This means calling for a ride (a taxi, an Uber or a friend) to get you to the target location. Finally, you need to contact a locksmith. Speaking of which…
Look for a specialist
Another thing you need to keep in mind is that modern car keys require more than just cutting. What they also need is specialized programming, which is why you need to go to specialists. Keep in mind that even if you do have the spare key that you can use as your main key (from now on), you now have a spare key to replace. So, look for car key cutting and programming specialists in your area and entrust them with this delicate task. The sooner you get done with this the better, seeing as how you’ll put yourself in a much more secure position for the future.
Stay calm
The most important thing you need to keep in mind is the fact that there’s no situation that’s so desperate that you can’t make it worse by picnicking or causing yourself a panic attack. If there’s a child, a baby or a pet trapped in the car, the key thing is that you remain calm in order not to cause them to panic. Keep in mind that the majority of the above-listed interactions take place via your smartphone, which means that you don’t actually have to leave their sight in order to get things done. Just remain calm and so will they.
Proving the ownership
The last thing you need to keep in mind is the fact that just because you say that the car is yours doesn’t necessarily make it so. You see, some people make a mistake of keeping their car-related documents inside of a vehicle. Even this is not the end of the world, seeing as how you can just memorize or write down your car’s VIN (vehicle identification number). Also, keep in mind that if you believe that the keys were stolen and not misplaced, your car’s security might have to be reprogrammed.
In conclusion
The reason why learning these six tips is so important is due to the fact that even if you don’t ever lose your car keys, you’re bound to, eventually, lose something. With that in mind, the above-listed six tips can really help you out by keeping you calm, giving you a plan and allowing you to adopt the right mindset. These three things alone can make all the difference in the moments of crisis.
