self locking problem

I own an ex police VRs. It has a self locking system which locks the car after about 30 seconds if the car is not started. At first I thought this was a fantastic feature, no more fumbling for the keys when your hands are full, no more  forgetting to lock the car over night (we all are guilty). That is fine until you get in the car, realize you need to clear the snow off the wipers, get out of the car and the hear the death clunk of the central locking.

Is auto locking  standard, and can it be bypassed?