Outside the car. Start here.

1. Deal with immediate danger first.

A child locked alone inside, or a person or animal in immediate danger? Call 911 and follow the dispatcher’s instructions. Otherwise, wait away from moving traffic if you can.

2. Work out what has happened.

Without forcing anything, check whether a door is already unlocked. Look for the keys through the window. Are they on a seat, in the ignition, or in the trunk? If you cannot see them, say that rather than assuming they are inside.

If a key is missing, broken, or the fob has stopped working, explain the difference when you call. Opening the car may not solve a key or immobilizer problem.

3. Check the options you already have.

• A spare key: can someone bring it to you without putting themselves at risk?
• Your vehicle app: if remote unlocking was already set up, check the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not assume every vehicle supports it.
• An existing assistance plan: ask your roadside, manufacturer or insurance provider whether lockout help is included and what limits apply.

4. Arrange help with the details ready.

Have the make, model and year, an address or nearest intersection, the key location and a callback number ready. Use the Brampton location guides to describe a garage, parking level, height restriction or locked gate.

Ask for the provider’s name, the full expected price and an estimated arrival before agreeing. Explain if your ID or registration is inside the locked vehicle, and ask how authorization will be checked.

Leave improvised entry tools out of it.

Do not force a door, lever the window seal or follow a generic tool-based entry tutorial. Ask an appropriate provider to assess your particular vehicle and explain the risks before work starts.