I hate to admit it, but I've been pulled over a few times in my life by law enforcement. Somehow I've been lucky enough that I've only got one ticket. (I think the real trick is to be polite). One thing I've noticed before is that each time the officer comes up to the car and touches the top of the trunk or the tail light.

I guess I didn't think too much of it, but then I saw today that a TikTok user has gone viral explaining the real reason behind why it's done.

Police officers have dangerous jobs. We were tragically reminded of this in Minnesota this last weekend when two officers and a firefighter/paramedic were killed in a shootout in Burnsville. Police put their lives on the line each and every day.

Dirceu Valadares YouTube
Dirceu Valadares YouTube
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The reason law enforcement touches your bumper.

I spoke to a friend of mine, Officer O'Connor with the Duluth Police Department about this viral video on TikTok. I asked him if law enforcement does it, and why they do it.

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It's all about officer safety.

O'Connor said that he doesn't touch the trunk of a car, but he knows many people that do. The first real reason is that they want to make sure the trunk of the car is secure so that someone won't jump out and attack them.

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Dmitriy Eremenkov
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When law enforcement pulls you over, they want to be able to see what the occupants in the car are doing. That's another thing, when you get pulled over if you want to put the officer at ease, keep your hands on the steering wheel. Don't be digging in your glove box or under your seat for your insurance or driver's license just yet.

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An old habit taught before dash cameras and body cameras.

Before dash camera videos and body camera videos were used, law enforcement would touch the back of your vehicle so they would leave fingerprints. That way if something went wrong, and the vehicle fled, they would be able to have proof that it was that car involved in the incident.

In this case, TikTok and YouTube got it right.

You can't believe everything you read or see on the internet, but in this case, it's 100% true.

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Data for this list was acquired from trusted online sources and news outlets. Read on to discover what major law was passed the year you were born and learn its name, the vote count (where relevant), and its impact and significance.

Gallery Credit: Katelyn Leboff

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