The Best Practices for Chip Keys and Company Vehicles
Developing a Key Management System You Can Count On
Managing a business’s company cars, whether a small or large fleet, requires an organized mind and attention to detail. From keeping tabs on maintenance requirements to optimizing driving routes and ensuring, as best you can, that all employees stay safe while on the road, it’s a tremendous amount of responsibility.
Amidst all the security safeguards that take precedence, one critical component can often be overlooked—maintaining duplicate chip keys for every car in your care. Let’s explore why this protocol is essential and how you can lower the costs when creating duplicates for your Fort Collins, CO, business.
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Depending on the size of your organization, managing, distributing, and keeping track of chip keys can become overwhelming. Misplaced keys and calls from employees locking themselves out can become time-consuming, especially as chip keys have replaced the traditional keys of old. Duplicate keys are important to maintain an efficient system.
Stopping by the hardware store when you’re down to the last key is no longer possible. Today, many businesses obtain their replacement keys from the dealer, a lengthy and often expensive prospect. Fortunately, there is a better way. Let’s explore how to obtain duplicate chip keys.
The Benefits of Chip Keys
While you may consider them frustrating at best, chip keys, also known as transponder keys, play a critical role in deterring vehicle theft, a significant crime in almost every major U.S. city. According to Colorado Crime Statistics, there were about 32,300 vehicles stolen in Colorado in 2023.
In 2022, the top stolen vehicles were the Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tuscan, Hyundai Sonata, Chevy Silverado, and Kia Optima, according to Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. For those with Kia or Hyundai cars in their possession, it’s important to note that a vehicle car theft defect litigation is underway, and the federal court has granted preliminary approval of a revised settlement agreement.
So, how do chip keys help protect vehicles? These keys are equipped with a transponder. It stores a password for the car, which it transmits via a radio signal to the anti-theft system in the vehicle. The engine will only start if the key’s code matches the anti-theft code. Unfortunately, Kia and Hyundai failed to equip certain cars with an engine immobilizer, an anti-theft system, and thus, their troubles began.
Duplicating a Chip Key
Many people don’t realize that commercial locksmiths can make duplicates or replace stolen chip keys. At LockSafe Systems, we’ll need the car’s VIN, year, make, and model if the key’s been lost or stolen. We’ll also need to confirm ownership with a form of identification and vehicle registration. We will ensure that you have a duplicate key on hand when needed.
Working with LockSafe SystemsAre you ready to create an efficient key management system you can count on? At LockSafe Systems, our professional technicians will come to your business and program a matching transponder type to create a new chip key for vehicles that need duplicates. This convenient approach can save you from significant headaches in the future. To learn more about creating chip keys for your company cars or to schedule an onsite visit, contact LockSafe Systems today.