"GM wants to help prevent tragedies like those that claimed 11 young lives during the summer of 1998," says Ron Zarrella, executive vice president of General Motors and president of GM North America.
The child-resistant kits are sold for less than $100 by GM dealers (which includes a considerable subsidy by GM) and they are designed to keep children out of the trunk in the first place. "They also provide a means of escape in the event that children do become entrapped in a trunk," says Zarrella.
The kit contains a modified trunk latch -- a trap resistant latch -- which requires a lever to be manually reset before the trunk lid will close. "The manual reset is easily operated by adults standing outside the car," Zarrella explains, "but requires a level of dexterity that most very young children do not possess."
The dealer-installed kits also contain an escape handle, mounting hardware and lighting that will allow the escape handle to be seen more easily by young children who may become trapped in a trunk.
The final feature in the kit is a strap for vehicles that have a pass-through into the trunk from the passenger compartment, which is meant to prevent children from entering the trunk that way.