[sharathjeppu]

I have found that most cars have the child lock switch as a mechanical lever that needs to be set on of off on each of the rear doors of the car. Do cars come with the functionality where the driver can operate the child lock like the central door lock from within the car electronically? Makes a lot of sense to me. I would like the Child Lock enabled when a child is sitting but have the option of disabling it from my drivers seat when an adult occupies that seat. Since I don't have this option, I always keep the child lock off. Does this make sense? Do any Indian Cars have this little feature?

[2L8uLoose]

I think that this has something to do at the time of an accident if the electronic system fails and the electronic child lock activates.. but thats just my view on things

[condor]

Sharath, the lever is the almost universal way of implementing child safety locks, AFAIK. I have not seen any other way, even in the premium mid-size sedans I've had in the US.

The idea is that when the lock is set, you cant open the door only from inside [where the kids are]. When getting the kids out or in, the practice would be for the driver to get them in, [put on the seat belts if reqd], and then close the door. Reverse the steps for getting the kids out. So when you shut the door, you set the lever.

Unless there is a special electronic control that is integrated with the remote / key-less entry ...

[Revvhead]

Basically if your electronice failed- then you'd be possibly locked in

Imagine a scenario where there'sbeen an accident - Kids/people in the rearseats, the elctronics have gone in the crash- the driver may not be concious- then the car cant even be opened from outside be rescuers.
I guess thats one of the reasons why its the manual type.

Generally all locking- and more imporantly Unlocking systems should be fail safe and non power operated for basic safety

[sharathjeppu]

Originally Posted by Revvhead

Basically if your electronice failed- then you'd be possibly locked in

Imagine a scenario where there'sbeen an accident - Kids/people in the rearseats, the elctronics have gone in the crash- the driver may not be concious- then the car cant even be opened from outside be rescuers.
I guess thats one of the reasons why its the manual type.

Generally all locking- and more imporantly Unlocking systems should be fail safe and non power operated for basic safety

This will fail even with the current child lock system if the central lock is on.

The child lock/unlock cannot be operated from ouside the car in the scenario explained above.

The car still has glass windows and they can be broken to rescue people in the event of an emergency.

[sharathjeppu]

Originally Posted by condor

Sharath, the lever is the almost universal way of implementing child safety locks, AFAIK. I have not seen any other way, even in the premium mid-size sedans I've had in the US.

The idea is that when the lock is set, you cant open the door only from inside [where the kids are]. When getting the kids out or in, the practice would be for the driver to get them in, [put on the seat belts if reqd], and then close the door. Reverse the steps for getting the kids out. So when you shut the door, you set the lever.

Unless there is a special electronic control that is integrated with the remote / key-less entry ...

I remember scenes in movies where the girl is trapped in a moving car by the evil driver and he centrally locks all the doors and the girl cannot open it from inside? I would presume that it is available as a feature in cars abroad. But am not sure. Having electronic controls for the same makes it so much more convinent. You need to have a combination of kids and adults traveling with you to understand its advantages.
Let me give you my case. I pick up my kids and put them in the rear seat. I have to have the child lock ON. I frive and pick my wife on teh way and she gets into the car and sits in the rear. Now I haven't got out of the car. I will not expect my wife to set the child lock off in this situation. It has to be set to off else my wife cannot get off without me having to get off to open the door.

It need not even be linked to the remote/ keyless entry. It just needs to be operated from the driver seat by the driver.

[condor]

Originally Posted by sharathjeppu

I remember scenes in movies .....

It need not even be linked to the remote/ keyless entry. It just needs to be operated from the driver seat by the driver.

Sharath, the feature you mention, of having a separate electronic control would be good to have.

But, should we believe all that we see in the movies ?

[sharathjeppu]

Originally Posted by condor

Sharath, the feature you mention, of having a separate electronic control would be good to have.

But, should we believe all that we see in the movies ?

No. But I am guessing that they probably wouldn't invent something to put in a plot as the audience won't conect to. So it probably is a feature present in most cars. Atleast this is how I deduced.

As for escaping from trapped cars, here's something interesting that I came across called the escape tip. I haven't seen it in any car in India but I think it makes sense.

[Revvhead]

Sharath, even if your electronics fail, the locking mechanism of the door-m The small lug on the door which you pull and push to lock/unlock can always be activated by the person inside even if you have central locking- that lug is a mechanical device- then the door can be opened from the outside. Its precisely why its there- even if the child unlocks the door, the door pull to open the catch from inside is disabled.

And really, Hollywood movies is not the place to take evidence from as to what is possible or not.

[sharathjeppu]

Originally Posted by Revvhead

Sharath, even if your electronics fail, the locking mechanism of the door-m The small lug on the door which you pull and push to lock/unlock can always be activated by the person inside even if you have central locking- that lug is a mechanical device- then the door can be opened from the outside. Its precisely why its there- even if the child unlocks the door, the door pull to open the catch from inside is disabled.

If the child lock is on, to open the door you need two operations. Unlock it from inside and open the door from outside. All I am saying is that why not have the child lock system designed to be activated from inside the car by the driver instead of mechanically setting it on the door. It is not going to change the way the door opens in case of an emergency.

And really, Hollywood movies is not the place to take evidence from as to what is possible or not.

Not evidence. But perhaps an inkling of of how things could work.
But I think some of these systems must have been there in older cars but have been changed with newer safety regulations.

[nitinbhag]

With an electric child lock:
How many times are people going to forget to switch on the child lock when they have children in the car? I would guess - All the time.

The child lock is too important for child safety to leave it to the memory of the driver. Thats why its manual and also placed such that it cant be operated very easily.

If you have children riding in the car even occassionally, you should have the child lock always ON. You can always let adult passengers out by opening from outside.

Safety is much more important than convenience.

[sharathjeppu]

Originally Posted by nitinbhag

With an electric child lock:
How many times are people going to forget to switch on the child lock when they have children in the car? I would guess - All the time.

The child lock is too important for child safety to leave it to the memory of the driver. Thats why its manual and also placed such that it cant be operated very easily.

If you have children riding in the car even occassionally, you should have the child lock always ON. You can always let adult passengers out by opening from outside.

Safety is much more important than convenience.

I agree. But having two children and often ferrying 4 of them with adults getting in and out, it is often not practical. Especially when the adult has to get off at a busy junction and you cannot stop the car to open the door yourself.

One of the big convinience that I found in the Swift ZXi is a combination of the following features.
1. The Door ajar indicator connected to all the 5 doors.
2. The auto locking of the doors when the car reaches a speed of 30 kmph.
3. Centrally locking the operation of the 3 windows including the front passenger window.

But then perhaps my kids are not as bratty as some of the others.

[Revvhead]

Its got very little to do with the other peoples kids being bratty,
Its more to do with their safety rather than the driver's convienence

ps- if an adult wants to get out of your car, then preferably one should pull over to the side, rather than get out at busy junctions

[santosh.s]

Its more to do with their safety rather than the driver's convienence

Why can't we have both at the same time? I agree with Sharath to vouch for a drivers control over child lock... it would be great if we had a button to unlock it temporarily which would enable back seat passengers (whether kids or adults) to open doors from inside only once... the moment you shut the door again, it should be locked again! mechanical lever could act as a permanent control while the driver's remote button could be a temporary unlocker. It would have made many people like sharath happy without compromising on the safety that existing system offers(I don't have kids yet )

In case of emergencies, it can be more useful... whoever is conscious can unlock doors on his/her own, which is not possible with existing systems without getting out through front doors.

[varunroy]

Full point to nitinbhag. You just can't take a chance with child safety. The best of technology has its drawbacks, so I think the present system is very reliable as this would make the driver more and more aware of his responsibilities. Its like having a mobile phone with memory of all the numbers and when it crashes for some reason, you don't even know the numbers to call someone in case of an emergency. If an adult needs to open the rear door, while the child lock is ON, all he needs to do is roll down his window and open it by its outer handle. I am sure one could put that extra effort for the sake of safety of our little ones.

So long....