Trunk Entrapment & Kids Playing in Parked Cars

Keys or a fob left where a toddler can reach them; an unlocked car in the driveway; a rear seat that folds forward into the trunk; hide-and-seek around the vehicle; a car older than about 2002 with no inside trunk release.

NHTSA: never leave a child alone in or around a vehicle, because curious children soon play in one, and a trunk can heat up fast with the risk of heatstroke or asphyxiation. Lock the doors and trunk, keep keys and remote entry devices out of sight and reach, keep fold-down rear seats closed and latched so kids can't climb through, teach children that a trunk is for cargo, not play, and if a child is missing, check the trunk and every vehicle nearby right away, and call 911 if you don't find them quickly. Show older kids the glow-in-the-dark inside trunk release. Cars from about model year 2002 on have one (NHTSA dates the requirement to September 1, 2001; Kids and Car Safety says model year 2002). If your car is older and has no release, NHTSA suggests asking your dealer about a retrofit; Kids and Car Safety, a nonprofit, also sells a low-cost aftermarket kit. Kids and Car Safety says it knows of no documented fatality in a trunk with a release (their claim); locking the car and keeping the keys away still comes first.