Do you need to lock your car door anymore?

Factual Questions
1

I have always accepted as gospel that one drives down the highway with the car doors firmly locked. My wife tells me that my habit is a relic of previous days, and that since the widespread use of the seatbelt, shoulder harness and airbag, my fears of being thrown from the car, or falling partway out and being squished by the car door are archaic. She says that her fear of being trapped in a car by faulty locks in case of an accident and fire is much more realistic, particularly since we have electric locks in my 93 Taurus. Can you help us decide whether to lock on or lock off?

2

Unlocked, while traveling. I read that somewhere.
Peace,
mangeorge

3

Unlocked while moving, except in certain “bad” parts of town.

4

If so, then why do some cars lock their doors automatically when the speed reaches 10mph (or whatever)?

5

scr4 said:

So the kiddies don’t make an inadvertant exit from said vehicle at serious boo-boo speeds?
As for the OP, you’re just weighing the consequences:

Doors locked:

*may not open as easily in collisions
*people in “bad parts” of town may have slightly more trouble entering your vehicle

Doors unlocked:

*in a crash, bystanders will be able to access the vehicle and its unconscious passengers more easily

  • time that would be spent locking doors can be devoted to other, more important tasks; like rolling down a window

The current unknown seems to be whether locking the doors makes a significant difference in door ajarability during crash-type situations.

6

I live in Los Angeles County. I still lock my door, no matter where I’m going. Even if I do crash, then the rescue crew can pull me out of the windshield.

Call me paranoid, but I feel very uncomfortable being unlocked… like I forgot to put on my underwear or something.

7

If you are implying here that locking a car door reinforces the door from accidently opening, well, it doesn’t. The door’s ability to withstand a given pressure would be the same locked or not.

As for your other points, I live in L.A., and I always lock my car door. I’m in the same boat with Java, in that, the rescue crew can pull me out through a window. Most likely, if I’m in an accident, the door will be jammed shut anyway.

8

I grew up in what was considered to be a very safe neighborhood. A women stopped at a traffic light a few blocks from my house and man walked up to her car, opened the passenger door and got in her car. The rest is not a pretty story.

As a result, I have always locked my car doors when I am driving. I agree that they can break a window if I can’t get out after a wreck.

The car I drive now automatically locks the doors when I take the car out of park. And since it is a two door sportier car, I don’t think they do that for children.

9

Thanks for all the input, folks. I notice that Mardi has asked substantially the same question at http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=38887 and received additional insightful comments. You may want to check this out if I’ve posted the link right.