Each year, up to 20 people across the country die because they are trapped in the trunk of a car. Most of these incidents occur either with children playing around a car and getting stuck in the trunk or occur because a child or adult is placed in the trunk of a car during a crime.
Since 2002, it has been mandatory for cars to have trunk release handles inside the car’s trunk and by law these trunk releases must be glow-in-the-dark. Older cars may not have this feature. If you have an older car, you may be able to get a retrofit kit to make your trunk safer. Beyond this step, there are other things you can do to prevent trunk entrapment:
- Make sure you and your children know how trunk release handles work. Locate the trunk release on your own car so you understand how to get out of a trunk.
- Never leave your car keys around or in the car. Children who play around the car are at risk of trunk entrapment but also of injuring themselves on power windows or getting locked in an overheated car. Leaving your cars in or around your car can also increase the risk your car may be stolen.
- Never leave children unsupervised around cars. Children are naturally curious about cars and may climb into a trunk or may injure themselves playing around the car.
- Talk to your kids about car safety. Children get ferried around in cars often and for this reason may not see any danger in vehicles. Having discussions about car safety and the dangers of trunk entrapment can help children understand the risks.
- Know what to do in a car with no trunk handle releases. You can pull out tail light wires or kick out the tail light fixture and try to wave down other cars for help. You can also bang on the trunk and shout or make noise, especially when the car slows down or when others may be nearby to hear.
If you or your child have been injured due to a car’s defective design or due to the criminal or negligent actions of another party, contact Flaxman Law Group at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN) to arrange a free accident consultation with a Hollywood car accident attorney. Our attorneys have more six decades of experience and have recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of clients. We are proud to serve the entire South Florida area.