In short:
- If a child, a vulnerable person or a pet is locked inside, call emergency services straight away: 10111 for SAPS, or 112 from a cellphone. Don't wait for a locksmith.
- Otherwise, check the easy options first: a spare key at home, and any roadside assistance in your own insurance policy or bank account.
- In a parking garage or office park, tell security what's happening and where the car is.
- Have your ID and proof the car is yours ready. Don't use coat hangers or try to force a window or door.
First: is anyone inside the car?
If a child, someone who can't get themselves out, or an animal is locked in the car, treat it as an emergency. Call SAPS on 10111, or 112 from a cellphone. Don't wait for a locksmith to arrive, and don't spend time looking for a spare key first.
A closed car heats up quickly, even on a mild Highveld day. ER24 warns that the temperature inside a vehicle can rise by more than 10°C in about ten minutes, and that leaving a window slightly open or parking in the shade doesn't make it safe. Children heat up faster than adults. While you wait for help:
- stay with the car and keep talking to the child so they stay calm;
- try to shade the car from direct sun if you can;
- if your car can be unlocked through the manufacturer's app and it's already set up, try that now.
If nobody is at risk, take a breath. A car lockout is a nuisance, not a crisis, and there's time to sort it out properly.
Check the simple options
- A spare key. Is there one at home, at work or with your partner? If someone can bring it, that's often the simplest way back in.
- Roadside assistance. Many car insurance policies, and some bank accounts and cards, include roadside help that may cover a lockout. Benefits differ widely, so check your own policy or call the number on your card or policy documents before assuming you're covered.
- Your car's app. Some manufacturers offer remote unlocking through a connected-car app. It only helps if it was set up beforehand, so check with your car's maker.
- Another door or the boot. Walk round the car calmly and check every door. Don't pull hard on handles or the boot lid.
If none of these works, call a car locksmith. Our car lockout and car key service comes out to where the car is parked.
In a parking garage or office park
A lot of Sandton lockouts happen in basements, shopping-centre parking and office parks, where access is controlled. A few things make the visit go smoothly:
- Tell security. Let the guards or building management know your car is locked and that a locksmith is coming, so the technician isn't held up at the boom.
- Note the level and bay number, plus the entrance the technician should use.
- Watch your signal. Basements often have no reception. If you can, wait at the entrance or at ground level so you can be reached.
- Keep your parking ticket or access card. If it's locked in the car, tell security now so leaving later isn't a second problem.
- Ask about the rules. Some sites need visitors signed in, or have specific times for contractors. Security will tell you what's needed.
Proof that it's your car
Before the car is opened, you'll be asked to show that it's yours or that you're entitled to use it. That protects you as much as anyone. Useful proof includes:
- Your ID or driving licence.
- The vehicle registration certificate. It's issued when the vehicle is registered with the registering authority. If the car is financed, the bank is the title holder on the certificate, so your finance paperwork or account details can help too.
- The licence disc on the windscreen. Its details can be read through the glass and checked against your documents.
- For a company or family car, a letter or message from the owner or fleet manager.
If your documents are locked inside, say so when you call. The technician will work out with you how to confirm ownership once the car is open, before you drive off.
What not to do
- Don't use a coat hanger or wire. Modern car doors are full of wiring for windows, locks and sensors, and a hanger can scratch paint, tear the rubber seals and damage parts you can't see.
- Don't force or lever a window or door. Prying at the frame can bend it out of shape, so the door leaks or rattles afterwards.
- Don't break a window unless emergency services are dealing with a life-threatening situation. A broken window costs more than a lockout, and it leaves the car open until it's fixed.
- Don't keep yanking handles or the boot lid. Door and boot mechanisms can be damaged by force.
- Don't leave the car unattended with a window down or a door forced open.
If a key has snapped in the door or the ignition rather than being locked inside, that's a slightly different job. Our article on a key broken in the lock explains why you shouldn't dig the piece out yourself.
What to tell us when you call
Car work depends on the vehicle, so these details help us tell you straight away whether it's a job for us:
- Make, model and year of the car.
- Type of key: a plain key, a flip key with remote buttons, or a keyless card or fob for a push-start car.
- Where the keys are: on a seat, in the ignition, in the boot, or not visible.
- Exactly where the car is parked: street address, or the building, level and bay, and any gate or security arrangements.
- Whether anyone, or any animal, is in the car. If so, call emergency services first.
- Whether your ID and the car's papers are with you or locked inside.
As a mobile locksmith in Sandton, we come to the car. The call-out fee is R250. The technician looks at the car and quotes on site before any work starts, and payment is by EFT, cash or card. Non-destructive entry is always tried first. For more on how pricing works, see what a mobile locksmith costs in Sandton.
Questions
Can you make me a new key while you're there?
Getting you back into the car is the lockout job. If your key is lost or broken, ask about car key replacement when you call; it depends on the make, model and key type. We don't offer key cutting or copying.
Will my roadside assistance pay for a locksmith?
It depends entirely on your policy or account. Some include lockouts and some don't, and some only cover their own appointed service provider. Check with your insurer or bank before you book.
The keys are locked in the boot. Is that different?
It can be. Tell us when you call, along with the make, model and year, so we can tell you what's involved.
Need a locksmith to look at it?
If this hasn't solved the problem, our car keys & lockouts service covers it. We're a mobile locksmith in Sandton, so we come to your door.
Sources and further reading
- Department of Tourism: safety and travel tips — Emergency numbers: SAPS 10111, 112 from a cellphone
- ER24: protecting children from hot car dangers — Car interiors can heat by more than 10°C in about ten minutes; a slightly open window or shade isn't reliable protection; children heat faster than adults
- South African Government: register a motor vehicle — Registration certificate issued on registration; a financing institution is the title holder of a financed vehicle; licence disc issued once licensed
- Insurify: what to do when you've locked your keys in the car — Coat hangers and wedges can damage paint, interior and weatherstripping; check your insurance policy for roadside cover; manufacturer apps