Does the World Still Need Car Keys? I Hope the Answer is Yes.

Writing about innovations that I hope die quickly isn't usually my style ... except for today. A recent piece in WIRED magazine asks whether we should still be carrying around car keys anymore. With many cars offering remote unlock services or pairing with your phone, the car key has become optional and may soon disappear. I hope it doesn't and apparently, I'm not alone. There is a lot of nostalgia associated with car keys, as well as some intriguing behavioral psychology behind why people like it. Having physical keys gives some people comfort.

Stefan Gössling, a professor at Linnaeus University, Sweden, and author of The Psychology of the Car describes it this way:

"A car key is full of meaning. Jingling them gives some motorists the opportunity to show off their automobile, even if the car is not close by. Car keys are also comforting to some, a physical reminder that your vehicle is there to take you away; to protect you.”

Replacing car keys with apps or phones also makes it impossible for you to leave the house without your phone ... not to mention creating complications when your phone inevitably runs out of battery. And fully digital locks could make cars more vulnerable to hacking, plus they make it easier for authorities to repossess or prevent access for any reason including an accidentally missed payment. For all these reasons, it's one innovation that I hope continues to roll out slowly. Do you agree or do you love digital keys for cars?