Booted out

Kidnap victims shoved into car boots won’t stay there long if an American car
maker has its way—and neither will children be able to lock themselves in
accidentally (EP 1099815). There are already warning systems that sense body
weight or heat, but these may give false alarms when heavy luggage is loaded, or
on hot summer days. Ford Global Technologies of Michigan suggests installing a
breath detector that monitors carbon dioxide levels within the boot. If CO
₂ content starts to rise, the car’s lights flash and the horn sounds. But
if these alarms aren’t acted on, the…