Is It Illegal to Drive with the Trunk Open?

[CharlieFitz]

According to the relevant regulations on traffic violations, driving with the trunk open is considered a violation. Additional details are as follows: 1. Specific penalties: Driving with the trunk open violates Article 62 of the "Regulations for the Implementation of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China," which states that driving with doors or compartments not properly closed can result in a fine ranging from 20 to 200 yuan. However, electronic police will not capture this violation; it falls under the jurisdiction of traffic police. If caught by traffic police, the vehicle will be stopped, and a ticket will be issued. 2. Notes: According to the Road Traffic Safety Law Implementation Regulations, running a red light results in 6 penalty points and a fine of 100 yuan; drunk driving leads to the revocation of the driver's license and a 5-year ban from reapplying; not wearing a seatbelt results in 3 penalty points and a fine of 100 yuan; a passenger not wearing a seatbelt results in 1 penalty point and a fine of 50 yuan.

[ORiver]

I remember last time I was stopped by traffic police for transporting a ladder with my trunk open. It is indeed illegal by law. Article 62 of the Road Traffic Safety Law states: 'When carrying goods while driving, the license plate must not be obscured or safety compromised.' An open trunk not only sways and blocks the rearview mirror, but what if something falls and hits the car behind? That would be terrifying. On-site, traffic police usually give a warning or a fine of 50 yuan, but if it actually causes an accident, the consequences can be dire. Last year, there was a news story about an open trunk hitting an electric bike and causing a disability. Now, when I transport oversized items, I either tie a red cloth strip securely or just call a cargo van service like Lalamove.

[RosalieLynn]

When I first got my driver's license, I also did this stupid thing - driving with the trunk open to haul luggage back to my hometown. As a result, I got pulled over at the highway toll gate. The traffic police officer pointed at the bag that had flown out of the trunk and lectured me: 'Young man, driving with an open trunk lid can easily cause items to fly out. According to the Road Traffic Safety Law, this counts as scattering transported goods, which is the same nature as trucks not covering their cargo with tarps.' I later learned that in serious cases, you could be fined 200 yuan and get penalty points. My suggestion is that if you really need to drive short distances with it open, use elastic ropes to tightly secure the trunk lid, and don't stack cargo higher than the backrest of the seats for safety.

[Gage]

Last time my mom went grocery shopping, she didn't close the trunk because she thought the vegetables smelled too strong. A cabbage fell out due to road bumps and almost caused a rear-end collision. From a legal perspective, this constitutes the offense of 'failing to secure cargo properly,' which carries a fine of 50-200 yuan depending on the region. Moreover, for vehicles like SUVs with small rear windows, driving with an open trunk is equivalent to losing 70% of rear visibility, making lane changes particularly dangerous. Now I always remind her: either close the trunk tightly or place smelly items in the back seat secured tightly in plastic bags.

[MacReese]

In fact, regulations have clear requirements for trunk status: the trunk door or a fixed mesh cover must be closed when carrying cargo. There are three common hazardous situations—accidents caused by rolling cargo will result in full liability for the vehicle owner; obstructing the rear license plate directly deducts 9 points; especially terrifying is when items in the trunk fly forward during sudden braking—last year, there was a case where a car refrigerator knocked the driver unconscious. However, note that leaving the trunk open during parking for loading/unloading or vehicle inspection is not illegal, but driving with the trunk door angled over 45 degrees is considered a violation.

[AriannaLee]

Once while watching a traffic accident documentary, I realized how severe the consequences could be: an open trunk loses its cushioning space during a collision, directly compressing rear passengers in a rear-end collision. Regulations stipulate that the trunk door must be closed while driving continuously; otherwise, it will be penalized as 'hindering safe driving,' with a fine of 100 yuan if caught by cameras. For special transportation needs, I recommend leaving a 30cm ventilation gap between the tailgate and the cargo, then using specialized fixing straps to cross-bind it twice to prevent cargo from rushing forward during emergency braking.