[BMWrules7]

14 year old dies trapped in BMW

This is awful.

This BMW did not malfunction. The BMW central locking system worked as designed. The girl couldn't open the door.

Note to BMW: it won't be long before someone leaves their car on via comfort access and asphyxiates their entire family.

The BMW central locking system has worked this way for years.



Fox News:

14-year-old Calif. girl dies after apparently becoming trapped in car in school parking lot.

A 14-year-old California girl died in a high school parking lot after she apparently became trapped in her familyâà‚€Â ™s car when the locking system possibly malfunctioned.
KMPH reports Graciela Martinez was found dead in the BMW 328i Wednesday afternoon in the parking lot of Madera South High School.
Police tell KMPH Graciela and her brother drove to school together, but Graciela stayed in the car when they arrived because she did not start class for another hour.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/13...#ixzz2epie7aJK" rel="ugc" target="_blank">http://<a href="http://www.foxnews.c...z2epie7aJK</a>" rel="ugc" target="_blank">http://<a href="http://<a href="http...ie7aJK</a></a>" rel="ugc" target="_blank">http://<a href="http://<a href="http...JK</a></a></a>" rel="ugc" target="_blank">http://<a href="http://<a href="http...a></a></a></a>" rel="ugc" target="_blank">http://<a href="http://<a href="http...a></a></a></a>

[pootytang]

deleted

[Steve33]

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headline...f-high-school/

You can't unlock the locks inside when the car is locked from the outside

[BMWrules7]

Originally Posted by drob23

WTF? Uh, something here just doesn't add up, a 14 year old can't figure out how to exit a locked car? To the point of death? Your link is broken BTW.

No. That's how BMWs work. Go try it. Have someone lock you in the vehicle with the fob and windows rolled up. You ain't getting out without breaking windows.

It's called central locking and is an anti theft feature.

[Cup o' Joe]

Why would you leave a 14 year old in a locked car on a hot day without air conditioning? Why did none of the teachers or staff notice a student sitting in a car all by herself on a hot day? Do no other students notice her in the car? I don't think the media has all the information, and neither do we.

This is a tragic story, but it doesn't all add up.

[Who?]

wow, that has to suck..

rip

[BMWrules7]

Originally Posted by Cup o' Joe

There really isn't enough information in the article to really point to anything.

I'm pretty sure even without the key you should be able to at least open the doors with a double pull of the handle.

No. It won't work. If you lock the car from the outside, you can pull the door all you want, it ain't opening.

The idea is to keep honest robbers out if your window is down. Or, if you break a window, the robber can't open the door.

The only downside to this feature is every 20 years an innocent child will die.

[pootytang]

Wow, didn't realize. Original comments deleted, really sad to hear.

[ToyotaBMW]

Originally Posted by BMWrules7

No. That's how BMWs work. Go try it. Have someone lock you in the vehicle with the fob and windows rolled up. You ain't getting out without breaking windows.

It's called central locking and is an anti theft feature.

It is a stupid feature. How can it be anti theft? If a thief is already inside they can steal your vehicle. It should be so that anyone inside can unlock the vehicle.

[ToyotaBMW]

Originally Posted by BMWrules7

No. It won't work. If you lock the car from the outside, you can pull the door all you want, it ain't opening.

The idea is to keep honest robbers out if your window is down. Or, if you break a window, the robber can't open the door.

The only downside to this feature is every 20 years an innocent child will die.

What are you saying? If your window is down than the robber can just crawl in. If you break the window then the robber can just crawl through the broken window.

Seriously what are you talking about? Anyway you put it this system makes no sense at all. If you are already inside a car you should be able to get out at any given time.

[Gastoys]

Sad story, the horn did not work? The central lock did not work? Sounds odd.

[JN1]

definitely sounds odd. I locked my car with the windows down the other day and unlocked it from the inside handle and it only set off the alarm.

[lordg]

Oh wow, I did not know about this feature.

So if I leave my friend alone in the car while I go out to buy something from a store. My friend would not be able to unlock the car from the inside, leaving him trapped? Is that correct?

[328AL]

Originally Posted by JNLBC

definitely sounds odd. I locked my car with the windows down the other day and unlocked it from the inside handle and it only set off the alarm.

I knew about this feature, and could never understand why! The security explanation does not make sense, an owner still has to lock doors after someone got in? The car will not lock itself.

[328AL]

Originally Posted by lordg

Oh wow, I did not know about this feature.

So if I leave my friend alone in the car while I go out to buy something from a store. My friend would not be able to unlock the car from the inside? Is that correct?

Yes, if you lock your car.

[johndeere]

This has to be the stupidest feature I've ever read about, and any explanation in support of this feature is just plain idiotic. IT'S TO PREVENT A ROBBER FROM COMING OUT OF YOUR CAR AFTER THEY GOT INSIDE YOUR CAR AND YOU LOCKED THEM IN THERE...WTF?

[BMWrules7]

Originally Posted by 3magine

This has to be the stupidest feature I've ever read about, and any explanation in support of this feature is just plain idiotic. IT'S TO PREVENT A ROBBER FROM COMING OUT OF YOUR CAR AFTER THEY GOT INSIDE YOUR CAR AND YOU LOCKED THEM IN THERE...WTF?

Don't shoot the messenger.

The idea behind central locking is to prevent the thief from opening your door after they crawl through a broken window.

Actually, it is a huge crime deterrent. You can't crack a window, then pull the handle from the inside and gain access. The only way to gain access is to crawl through the broken window---in and out.

Next, you don't need to accept my reasoning. But, you do have to accept the facts---that's how the system works.

[SomeRandomer123]

Originally Posted by BMWrules7

No. That's how BMWs work. Go try it. Have someone lock you in the vehicle with the fob and windows rolled up. You ain't getting out without breaking windows.

It's called central locking and is an anti theft feature.

The majority of cars work like this. Kia, Peugeot, BMW, whatever - this is called a deadlock and is an anti-theft feature. The title of this thread is sickening and damaging, I don't see how BMW are responsible.

This has also been outlined in the owners manual, such as this extract from the F30 owners manual:

Locking from the outside
Do not lock the vehicle from the outside if
there are people in it, as the vehicle cannot be
unlocked from inside without special knowledge.

Note this BMW in question is not an F30, but a 1997 328i.

Here is an extract from the 1997 E36 Owners Manual:
Never use the keys or the remote
control to lock an occupied vehicle, as
it would then be impossible to unlock it
from inside.

Such a tragic thing to happen, must come as an awful shock for the family.

[BMWrules7]

Originally Posted by SomeRandomer123

The majority of cars work like this. Kia, Peugeot, BMW, whatever - this is called a deadlock and is an anti-theft feature. The title of this thread is sickening and damaging, I don't see how BMW are responsible.

This has also been outlined in the owners manual, such as this extract from the F30 owners manual:

Locking from the outside
Do not lock the vehicle from the outside if
there are people in it, as the vehicle cannot be
unlocked from inside without special knowledge.

Note this BMW in question is not an F30, but a 1997 328i.

Such a tragic thing to happen, must come as an awful shock for the family.

I believe the 1997 328i has a similar locking system and I think it's newsworthy to this group.

Next, so you're saying that since everyone does it, no one is responsible?

I am not sure if the girls parents would agree with you.

Finally, if you propose a better title that still captures the reality of the situation, I will amend my post.

[SomeRandomer123]

Originally Posted by BMWrules7

I believe the 1997 328i has a similar locking system and I think it's newsworthy to this group.

Next, so you're saying that since everyone does it, no one is responsible?

I am not sure if the girls parents would agree with you.

Finally, if you propose a better title that still captures the reality of the situation, I will amend my post.

"Girl dies in BMW" or "Girl dies in car", not "BMW Kills". They did not proactively kill a young girl - unless you are a sensationalist tabloid writer.

I'm not playing the blame game, I'm not saying no one is responsible - that's a ludicrous, and again, sensational question I will not answer. Moreover, I'm not in a position to answer.

However, soley placing the blame on BMW as your title strongly infers is unacceptable. Especially as this is outlined in the owners manual and has been a feature of most cars for as long as I can remember.

[BMWrules7]

Originally Posted by SomeRandomer123

"Girl dies in BMW" or "Girl dies in car", not "BMW Kills". They did not proactively kill a young girl - unless you are a sensationalist tabloid writer.

I'm not playing the blame game, I'm not saying no one is responsible - that's a ludicrous, and again, sensational question I will not answer. Moreover, I'm not in a position to answer.

However, soley placing the blame on BMW as your title strongly infers is unacceptable. Especially as this is outlined in the owners manual and has been a feature of most cars for as long as I can remember.

Lol, I see. So that "stupid" little 14 year old forgot to read the manual and done cooked herself in a car---heaven forbid we mention it was a BMW.

No, I rather subscribe to the truth. The BMW did it. And a beautiful little girl was killed at the hands of a design decision.

[SomeRandomer123]

Originally Posted by BMWrules7

Lol, I see. So that "stupid" little 14 year old forgot to read the manual and done cooked herself in a car---heaven forbid we mention it was a BMW.

No, I rather subscribe to the truth. The BMW did it. And a beautiful little girl was killed at the hands of a design decision.

Absolutely not, but I'm not having this discussion with you if you're just going to sensationalise everything and attempt to paint me out as the bad guy.

I am relaying facts from the company's liability perspective, and from this point of view, I fail to see how BMW are responsible when they have explained the system and scenario.