There has been a growing acknowledgment in the online community that police often perform a mysterious practice of touching the trunk of your vehicle during a routine spot. However, many people are confused as to why police touch your car.
In addition, several videos have confirmed this practice as a widespread phenomenon that has been the source of considerable speculation. However, there are, in fact, some very practical reasons behind this strange action.
We will inform you of these key reasons and put your mind at ease as you better understand the practicalities behind this practice.
Rules of the Road
Owning and using a vehicle is a natural part of modern life. However, most countries have various laws surrounding the protocols to be followed when driving.
These laws generally ensure that citizens act in the safest manner possible to ensure that people’s lives are at minimum risk. Essentially all of the rules regarding how to drive, from obeying signs and light to speed and distances to maintain.
Although there are innumerable lengths of regulations, we essentially manage to spend our days following them, which eases.
Like many well-balanced systems, the more harmoniously people follow the rules, the more efficient driving experiences will be. The German Autobahn is an excellent example.
Due to the supremely well-built and organized infrastructure, the government has lifted the maximum speed limits to allow drivers greater freedom. However, although it has a degree of great privilege, there are still rules surrounding this liberty as it can only be performed in controlled conditions.
Moreover, most countries also have an abundance of laws regarding both the condition and features of vehicles and rules applied to the individuals driving. For example, most countries require vehicles on the road to pay particular taxes and perform a regular governmentally regulated inspection to ensure vehicles can operate safely.
This prevents people from driving cars that are unknowingly deteriorated and run the risk of causing a serious unexpected accident. Moreover, citizens must complete a theoretical and practical driving examination to ensure all drivers are fully qualified to understand how to drive on any road.
Drivers must be of a particular age and free from health conditions that could impair their ability to drive safely. There are even rules regarding driving while intoxicated that go as far as dictating how tired one can be while on the road for an extended period.
Ultimately, driving is generally a peaceful and routine process. Still, its success is underpinned by various complex rules and infrastructure.
Police Interaction
As a driver, it is expected that at some point during your life, you will experience an interaction with police officers. Typically, countries will have specific officers whose job is to police the roads to ensure that safety is guaranteed.
We have all experienced dangerous drivers on the road. They are everywhere, from speeding on the highway to missing red lights, and people are breaking the law constantly. Therefore most of us are happy knowing that there is a specialized police force ensuring laws are being followed.
However, even as law-abiding citizens, we all have to cringe whenever we see flashing lights in our rearview mirror. We all know that guilty feeling that maybe we made a mistake and broke the law unintentionally. We are about to face the consequences.
Police stop vehicles for several reasons. Firstly, the most common interactions are routine traffic posts that will stop cars at random. These are intended to ensure that people who are driving have all of the necessary qualifications, insurance, and vehicle conditions.
In addition, these random stops are to catch people in illicit acts, from arrest warrants to not having the appropriate insurance.
Additionally, many people will be pulled over while driving due to minor infractions witnessed by police officers. This can be anything from speeding, dangerous driving, or appearing to be intoxicated.
These are typical stops where people will get a minor penalty for performing an illegal maneuver in front of an officer.
Police Touching Car
There has been a growing trend of people noticing that when police officers approach their vehicles, they appear to touch the trunk of their car as they move to speak with them.
Police officers will always aim to approach from the rear of your vehicle to inspect who is inside and observe the internal situation before they potentially move into harm’s way.
Over time there have been many speculations about this practice, and some reasons for this have been discovered.
DNA Evidence
One of the critical reasons for touching the vehicle truck is for police officers to leave DNA evidence and a fingerprint on the vehicle. This may seem odd, but this action has some practical reasons.
Being a police officer is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Particularly in countries like the USA, where private citizens have easy access to powerful firearms.
Therefore, altercations during traffic stops are an exceptionally dangerous situation for officers.
The likelihood of them being attacked is reasonably high, so they need their DNA evidence to prove that that particular vehicle was used during the altercation. It can be used in a court of law to verify that the car and the occupant were present during an incident.
This practice has been used in high-profile cases where police officers have been shot and the vehicle has been driven away. After some time, the car matching the description still had the officer’s fingerprint, which proved that it was the vehicle at the crime scene.
This practice is completed to protect the officers and make it easier to prosecute the suspects should an incident occur.
Checking The Trunk
Another practical reason police officers touch the rear of a vehicle during a stop is to confirm that the truck is latched shut. Again, this may seem odd, but several interesting reasons exist for performing this task.
Firstly, ensuring that the trunk is closed will confirm that there is no risk of people or dogs jumping out of the vehicle’s rear. Although it may appear overly cautious, combined with leaving verifiable DNA, it is a reasonable attempt to complete two tasks in one action.
Additionally, if the trunk appears to be open, it can indicate that it has been recently opened. This can suggest that illicit goods are being stored in the newly loaded or unloaded vehicle.
It can create enough suspicion to use drug-sniffing dogs by the officers should they be available.
Stun The Drivers
Some people have speculated that there are some more deliberate reasons for touching the trunk. For example, it is suggested that it is an attempt to startle the occupant to prevent them from acting too decisively.
This tactic has often been associated with officers who know that the occupant is up to no good and are trying to delay them from taking dangerous actions. However, effectively it is a practice used in a tactically challenging scenario to buy an officer some additional time to restrain people within the vehicle faster and with less resistance.
However, some have noted that they feel it has been used to generally startle occupants even though there is no reason to suspect foul play. It is being used as a power play to scare law-abiding citizens.
It should be noted that police officers have yet to agree that this is standard practice and is unlikely to happen when interacting with typical officers.
Is There a Reason To Worry
Ultimately, there is no reason to suspect anything is wrong if an officer touches the vehicle’s rear. Like many issues, if you are a law-abiding citizen, there should be nothing to worry about.
These practices generally confirm an officer’s safety and make no difference during a regular traffic stop.
Following the officer’s instructions and providing them with all requested documents is best when interacting with a typical office. Be aware that they have a job to do, and the easier you make it for them, the greater the chance you can get away faster. If you are fortunate, you may even avoid that well-deserved ticket.
Ultimately, It may seem like a strange practice for police officers to touch the trunk of your car during a stop. However, once the reasons are broken down, it is clear that this is a straightforward practice that will not affect the average citizen.
Suppose you follow the law and ensure you have all the required documents. In that case, it is unlikely that you will experience any negative repercussions from this experience.