You wake up in complete darkness. The space around you is cramped, the air feels stale, and every bump reminds you that you’re moving. The last thing you remember is being attacked. Now, after hearing the sound of tires on the road and muffled voices outside, you realize the terrifying truth.
You’ve been locked inside the trunk of a moving car.
Whether the situation began with a kidnapping, a carjacking, or another violent crime, your first priority is no longer understanding what happened. It is getting out alive.
Car trunks are not designed for people. They have limited ventilation, no climate control, and very little room to move. As time passes, heat, lack of fresh air, and panic can quickly make the situation much worse.
The most important thing you can do is stay calm and start looking for anything that might help you escape.
Feel around the trunk carefully for tools, loose objects, or cables. Some vehicles have emergency mechanisms hidden inside the trunk. Pulling the right cable or lever could unlock it from the inside.
A real life example shows how important this can be. In 2017, a 25 year old woman from Birmingham, Alabama, was kidnapped and forced into the trunk of her own car. Using the small light on her insulin pump, she searched the trunk until she found the emergency latch. She opened the trunk, jumped from the moving vehicle, reached a nearby gas station, and called the police.
Knowing how kidnappers often operate can also help you avoid becoming trapped in the first place.
One common tactic involves intentionally bumping your vehicle from behind, especially at traffic lights or in isolated areas. When the driver gets out to inspect the damage, the attacker forces them into the trunk.
Another method involves pretending to have car trouble or staging an accident. A helpful driver stops to assist, only to become the victim.
If you are already trapped inside the trunk, attracting attention becomes your next goal.
Many vehicles allow access to the taillights from inside the trunk. If possible, kick out one of the taillights or break it using any object you can find. Once there is an opening, wave a piece of clothing, such as your shirt, through the hole. This unusual movement could catch the attention of other drivers and encourage someone to call the police.
If you have your phone with you, immediately call emergency services if it is safe to do so. If speaking is not possible, try sharing your live location with a trusted family member or friend using a messaging or location sharing app.
Modern vehicles may also include a built in escape feature.
After a well known kidnapping case in the 1990s, safety advocates pushed for emergency trunk releases. Since 2001, nearly all passenger vehicles manufactured for sale in the United States have been required to include an internal emergency release inside the trunk. It is usually a glow in the dark handle that can be pulled to open the trunk from the inside.
If you cannot open the trunk directly, another option may be escaping through the back seat. Some cars have fold down rear seats that can be kicked open. If you have a sharp object, cutting through the seat material may create enough space to crawl into the passenger compartment.
However, this option is safest if the vehicle has stopped or has been abandoned. Attempting to escape while kidnappers are still nearby could place you in even greater danger.
Being trapped inside a car trunk is one of the most frightening situations imaginable, but staying calm and acting quickly can dramatically improve your chances of survival. Looking for an escape latch, attracting attention, contacting emergency services, and understanding how modern vehicles are designed could make the difference between remaining trapped and making it home safely.
