Consumer Reports finds flaw with Lexus ES, GS emergency trunk safety release, alerts
10-12-12, 05:36 PM
#16
Lexus Fanatic
10-12-12, 06:58 PM
#17
i mean i dont know why is there such law, and they shouldnt break even if you pull hard (and he did pull hard to break it in the video, it is thin strip of flourescent plastic tied to the chain/rope), but dear lord, I would never imagine locking my kids in the trunk for fun.
10-12-12, 07:44 PM
#18
Even though I agree with all of you, this actually happened last summer unfortunately. Two kids that were playing got trapped in the trunk of a car and died. I don't remember what kind of car it was but it is a likely scenario.
Last edited by jat0223; 10-12-12 at 07:58 PM.
10-13-12, 11:25 AM
#20
first of all, it is parents fault, 2nd of all, how do you die in the trunk? Trunk is not air proof...
10-13-12, 12:02 PM
#21
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
zomg, cars have a giant container of explosive and highly flammable liquid too. 
10-13-12, 01:45 PM
#24
Lexus Test Driver
Kids should be properly supervised even when playing? Anyways if they have to have it fine, quick fix but its not a deal breaker or a concern for me at all. I like to have the people I throw in the trunk stay there
.
10-13-12, 03:09 PM
#25
This link will make you a bit more informed.
http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=14049363
As I mentioned before I agree with what you guys are saying, but it's still a likely scenario nonetheless.
http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=14049363
As I mentioned before I agree with what you guys are saying, but it's still a likely scenario nonetheless.
10-13-12, 03:24 PM
#26
Can't see why kids would want to play in the trunk. The only time I'm in my trunk is when I'm working on my audio system. My 2GS does not have one of those latches, so I have to manually close the latch so if the truck lid does ever fall down, it can't close at all.
10-13-12, 04:35 PM
#27
And I understand what you are saying as well. I'm not disagreeing with anyone here. I'm just responding to the person that said that he/she couldn't picture this scenario happening with proof that it has happened before unfortunately. Actually, according to this article, cars have had these safety latches since 2000 because before that this scenario was quite common.
10-13-12, 06:17 PM
#28
Why would anyone need to escape from the trunk in an emergency in the first place? I believe that on all Lexus sedans you cannot fold down the rear seats anyway, so if someone should for whatever reason get stuck inside their Lexus, they simply need to smash the window out in order to exit the vehicle.
10-13-12, 06:43 PM
#29
especially sedan... if your kid gets locked in the GS350 trunk, i would call social services because you cant handle the kids.
10-13-12, 08:11 PM
#30
Lexus Champion
Welcome to North America, where people cannot or will not take responsibility for their own actions, instead demanding the government do so. This has given us the Interior Trunk Release and other “save me from myself” devices.
Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2000/10/20/00-27038/federal-motor-vehicle-safety-standards-interior-trunk-release
It has also given us, in the past…
Motorized seat belts to save those people who refused to take responsibility for their own safety behind the wheel and were getting killed in car accidents – hitting hard objects in the car and/or getting thrown from the car.
Extremely fast-inflating and extremely powerful airbags to catch unbelted drivers before they hit the steering wheel took over from the hated motorized seat belt. It had the misfortune of causing injury because it was too powerful, especially to those who sit too close to the airbag.
Complicated variable-speed, variable-power airbags to prevent some of those airbag injuries saved us from the all-too-powerful airbags. Now there are complaints that these airbags may not inflate in certain circumstances.
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Interior Trunk Release
A Rule by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on 10/20/2000
Summary
This document establishes new Federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) No. 401; Internal trunk release, that requires all new passenger cars with trunks be equipped with a release latch inside the trunk compartment beginning September 1, 2001. Instead of a release latch, this document also permits the installation of an alternative system such as a passive trunk release system which would detect the presence of a human in the trunk and would automatically unlatch the trunk lid. During the summer of 1998, eleven children died when they inadvertently trapped themselves in the trunk of a car. This new standard will provide children and others who find themselves trapped inside a passenger car trunk a chance to get out of the trunk alive.
A Rule by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on 10/20/2000
Summary
This document establishes new Federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) No. 401; Internal trunk release, that requires all new passenger cars with trunks be equipped with a release latch inside the trunk compartment beginning September 1, 2001. Instead of a release latch, this document also permits the installation of an alternative system such as a passive trunk release system which would detect the presence of a human in the trunk and would automatically unlatch the trunk lid. During the summer of 1998, eleven children died when they inadvertently trapped themselves in the trunk of a car. This new standard will provide children and others who find themselves trapped inside a passenger car trunk a chance to get out of the trunk alive.
It has also given us, in the past…
Motorized seat belts to save those people who refused to take responsibility for their own safety behind the wheel and were getting killed in car accidents – hitting hard objects in the car and/or getting thrown from the car.
Extremely fast-inflating and extremely powerful airbags to catch unbelted drivers before they hit the steering wheel took over from the hated motorized seat belt. It had the misfortune of causing injury because it was too powerful, especially to those who sit too close to the airbag.
Complicated variable-speed, variable-power airbags to prevent some of those airbag injuries saved us from the all-too-powerful airbags. Now there are complaints that these airbags may not inflate in certain circumstances.