Warning: Teenage Drivers and Trunking

Are you a parent of a teenage driver? If you are, I am sure you are all ready concerned about him/her driving recklessly, driving with a cell phone and even driving and drinking. But there is a new danger for parents to worry about and it is called Trunking.

Trunking is when a person or persons are riding in the car in the trunk. Why would they do that? The car is over-loaded. (Some states will only allow X number of teenagers in one car at the same time because studies prove that car accidents go up if 3 teenagers or more are in the car with a teenage driver). Sometimes they just do it for fun. (You may remember sneaking into the back of the trunk to get into the drive thru movies for free).

Of course, being a responsible parent you can see the first danger in this. Accidental inhaling of gas fumes; the gas tank is usually position in the trunk area of the car. The second possible danger is suffocation. But those aren't the real dangers. Gas tanks are pretty solid and the fumes do not usually get out into the air, even into the trunk. Plus, many trunks have enough air holes (example is around the lights to keep one from suffocating for a short time period). The main danger is the car wrecking with an unprotected teenager or teenagers in that trunk.

Trunks do not come with air bags or seat belts. If a person is in a wreck and is in that trunk his/her or in some cases their bodies are thrown about and more bodily harm can come to them. They can become trapped within this car and if the other passengers are unable to communicate the people who come to respond if an accident would occur may never think of checking the trunk for people. People riding in the trunk can also be thrown from the car if the trunk lid comes open.

In California trunking has become a serious problem.

Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy has issued a bill which will make it a misdemeanor for the driver who transports anyone trunking in his/her vehicle as well as giving an infraction to any person riding in the trunk. Two points will be added to the driver's license and if found guilty of the misdemeanor the driver will loose his/her driver's license.

He proposed this bill after a tragic accident in his district involving trunking. A car driven by a teenager was over-crowded and two teenage boys got into the trunk. The car was then involved in an accident and the two teenage boys were ejected from the trunk. They both were killed.

Scary.

Driving is scary. Driving is a responsibility.

You need to warn your teenagers of the dangers of this new trend. You also need to warn your non-teenage drivers (for they are the ones more apt to get into the trunk).

If you ever see anyone get into a trunk of a car, get the driver's license and the location the car is driving. The immediately call your local highway patrol. You may be saving someone's life.

Accidents happen every day. They happen from carelessness and from human error. Make sure your teenage driver knows what he/she should be doing to help take care of themselves and their passengers to stay safe.