Being trapped in a car's trunk (or "boot") can be a harrowing,
sometimes deadly experience. At least 300 people have died from
trunk entrapment since 1970, and many more have had to be
hospitalized. Sometimes a criminal will force a person into a
trunk, and sometimes a person (usually a child) will accidentally
get trapped in a trunk, but regardless of the cause of entrapment,
a trunk is a very dangerous place to be. Some trunks are nearly
airtight and present a risk of suffocation. On hot days, the
temperature inside a trunk can quickly reach 140 degrees F or more,
turning the storage space into a deadly oven. Unfortunately, it's
not easy to get out of a locked trunk. While some vehicles now have
trunk release levers inside, the majority of cars on the road do
not. So what can you do? Read on to find out.
Steps
- Install a trunk release in your car's trunk.
The vast majority of trunk entrapment cases occur in the victim's
own car. The good news is, you can prepare for such an eventuality
by installing a trunk release. Check if your car already has a
trunk release in the trunk. If it doesn't you may be able to
install one as long as your has an operational electronic trunk
release mechanism.
- If your trunk can be opened remotely, the
easiest thing to do is to hide a spare remote in the trunk. Make
sure to tell your children and other family members where it is
located and how it is operated.
- If your trunk cannot be opened remotely, you
can purchase the supplies to install a trunk release yourself for
about $4. Detailed instructions can be found here. Have the release
installed for you if you are not confident in your mechanical
abilities.
- Keep a flashlight and crowbar and/or screwdriver in
your trunk. If you can't install a trunk release, keep
tools in your trunk that will help you pry open the latch or, at
the very least, help you attract attention from passersby.
- Remain calm if you become trapped in a trunk.
About 25% of trunk entrapment deaths result from suffocation, and
the majority of these could probably have been avoided. Panic will
cause you to hyperventilate and will impair your ability to
effectively free yourself or signal others. Stay calm, but keep in
mind that if it is a hot day, you may not have much time before the
trunk gets too hot.
- Attempt to escape through the back seat. Some
cars have back seats that fold down to allow access to the trunk.
Generally the release for these seats is located inside the car,
but there may be one in the trunk as well. If not, try to push,
kick, or pry the seats down, and then climb out.
- Look for a trunk release. As mentioned, the
trunk you're in may not have a release unless it's a newer model or
it's your car and you've installed a release. Nonetheless, it's
worth looking for the release, just in case. It will usually be a
glow-in-the-dark handle located near the trunk latch, but it may
also be a cord, button, or toggle switch, or a handle that does not
glow in the dark.
- Look for a trunk release cable. If the car is
equipped with a cable trunk release that can be operated from
inside the car (usually by a lever near the drivers seat), you may
be able to pull the cable and open the trunk latch. Pull up the
carpet on the floor of the trunk and feel for a cable. It will
typically be on the drivers side. If no cable is there, search
along the side of the trunk. If you locate a cable, pull on it
(pulling toward the front of the car) to open the trunk. The cable
may be difficult to pull, but keep trying. If there are pliers
inside the trunk
