Emergency Trunk Releases Mandated in Cars

Auto makers will be required to provide a ready means of escape for people locked in car trunks under a new rule issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The rule--effective Sept. 1, 2001, for new vehicles--ends a 15-year debate over whether the government should mandate emergency trunk releases. Until 11 small children smothered to death in locked car trunks during the summer of 1998, NHTSA had argued there were not enough cases to justify the cost of such a requirement. After the deaths, the Transportation Department assembled an expert panel to recommend solutions. Last year, the group endorsed a new federal safety standard. Major U.S. auto makers then announced they would voluntarily begin installing trunk releases in new models. Some companies are also offering low-cost kits to fit existing vehicles with emergency trunk releases. As is usual for the government, the NHTSA rule does not prescribe a specific design. Manufacturers are experimenting with a variety of mechanisms, including some that utilize special sensors to automatically open a locked trunk when a person is detected inside.