Why Cops Touch Your Car When They Pull You Over

When a cop pulls you over, you might notice them tap the back of your car. Some people think it’s to check whether the trunk is secure to prevent an ambush—but that’s not true, since most cars have internal trunk release anyway. The real reason is that if the stop turns violent and the driver flees, the fingerprint left behind could help identify the vehicle later. But today body cams make it mostly unnecessary and officers do it out of habit.