It happens to the best of us: You get home after a long day, put on your comfy sweats and settle in to enjoy a pizza and a good TV show, only to realize you can’t find your car keys. It’s an awful feeling. Fortunately, it’s not the end of the world — even though finding your lost car key can take some time, it’s a relatively straightforward process to get a replacement.
The first thing to do is calm down and retrace your steps. You might be surprised to find your keys aren’t actually lost, but simply misplaced. Then, you can begin searching more thoroughly. Be sure to check in all the places you might have put them: your pockets, the bag or purse you used when you left the house, and even the place where you normally set your keys when you come inside.
If you don’t find your keys, it might be time to ask for help. A friend or family member can search with you, and they may even have a better idea of what your car key looks like than you do. You can also try asking at your school, work or gym; a customer or coworker might have found it and just forgotten to give it back to you.
Depending on the type of car you drive, you have several options for getting a new key. If you have a traditional key, you can usually call a locksmith who will make you a new one on the spot. If your vehicle has a more technologically advanced key, you’ll need to contact your dealership and have them order you a new one, which will cost more money.
You can also call your insurance company and see if they offer key cover. Generally, it’s an add-on or upgrade to your policy that you can buy for an additional fee. It’s worth checking to make sure this won’t affect your no-claims discount.
A good way to avoid losing your car keys is to carry a spare with you. A spare key isn’t that expensive, and you can easily have it copied. Keep the spare in a different location than your main keys, so it’s easy to find when you lose your car keys. It’s also a good idea to buy a key ring and hook your most important keys, including the car key fob, onto it. You can then hang your car key ring on your belt loop or hook it to the zipper of your jacket for easy access. This will prevent you from forgetting your keys again in the future. lost car key