I’m locked out of my car!

Fabulous.

No one has been excited about getting locked out of their car. It’s even worse when you have no idea what to do. Learning what to do when you accidentally lock yourself out of your car can keep you from going into a panic when it happens.

Instead of being in a position where you’re scared and worried — you’ll know just what to do. Continue reading for tips to help you out of this situation.

Stay Calm & Observe Your Surroundings

When you’ve gotten stuck in a difficult situation, your first instinct is to start panicking. You’re in a strange place, and you don’t know anyone nearby. What are you going to do?

Before you start freaking out, take a few breaths and look around. If you’re in a safe place, you can stay where you are and consider your options. If you’re not in a place where you feel safe, you should go elsewhere and figure out what you’re going to do since you’ve locked keys in car.

Do You Have a Spare Key?

Almost everyone has a spare key for their vehicle. If you have a spare key, but you don’t have it with you, you need to remember where you keep it.

If your spare key isn’t too far away, you might get someone to go get it and bring it to you. If you have to, pay someone to bring it to you and it might save you some money hiring someone to come open your vehicle.

Do You Have Roadside Assistance?

You might have roadside assistance, but you don’t even know it. Sometimes your insurance comes with roadside assistance, or a family member might have put you on their policy. Before you try to hire someone to help you, see if you already paid for roadside assistance.

Some credit cards and warranty services offer roadside assistance, as well. Make sure you check all possible options since it can save you around a hundred dollars or even more.

You also might want to see if you can buy roadside assistance on the spot and use it. Depending on the company that you ask and the person that you’re dealing with, you might be able to get them to help you out.

Can You Reach the Lock?

If the window is slightly open, take a look and see if you can unlock the car on your own. Is your arm long enough to hit the unlock button? If your arm isn’t long enough to unlock the car door, you can try a hanger or other slender long tool.

Call a Tow Truck Service

If you want the insurance company to pay for your tow job, you need to report the need for a tow directly to them. A tow truck can help you get your vehicle off the side of the road and to a safe location until you can get it unlocked.

Call a Locksmith

You may not want to move your car with a tow truck. Instead, you might call a locksmith and ask them to come out to your vehicle and help you to get it open. Depending on what time it is and the availability of the locksmith, it might take a little bit of time.

Most locksmiths are on call and will come to your location pretty quickly. Make sure you choose a locksmith that provides a quick response. You can check online reviews and see what people say if you don’t know which company to choose.

How to Choose the Right Tow Truck or Locksmith Company

If you’ve decided that you want to call a tow truck or a locksmith company, but you aren’t from the area, calling the wrong service could be a disaster. If you call the wrong company, you may be waiting on the service for a long time, they might not be gentle with your car, and you may experience other problems.

1. Check Online Reviews

Online review sites are a good way to check on a company without even calling them. Look on sites like Yelp as well as Google My Business and see what companies have a good rating and good reviews.

Don’t only look at how many stars the company has. Also, look at how many people reviewed the site. You should look at what people wrote about the company as well.

Having an idea of whether the company has provided good service in the past is likely to provide a good service to you as well.

2. Ask for a Reference

If you have a friend or family member that is familiar with the area, you can ask them to give you a reference. You might even ask someone that you meet on the spot to give you a reference to a company. There’s something about knowing another human had a good experience that makes it easier to trust someone.

Locked Out of My Car – Let Me In!

Now you know what to do when you’re wondering, “What do I do? I’m locked out of my car.” Knowing what to do in a tough situation makes it a lot easier on your nerves, and we’re glad we could help.

Why stop learning there? We have other articles that can help you as you’re learning about cars and life situations in general. Browse our articles, find your favorite section, drop a bookmark, and come back soon for more great reads.