This small hatch located at the front and/or rear of cars has a use that you may not know.
Impossible not to see them. Although painted the same color as the bodywork, these little hatches are found on almost all cars today. Square in shape, sometimes round, they are embedded in the shields of the vehicle, these pieces of bodywork located below the front and rear bumpers and whose function is to reduce damage in the event of an accident. Barely larger than a 2 euro coin, these hatches are clearly visible despite the effort made by manufacturers to confuse them with the bodywork. But why are they placed there? And most importantly, what are they for?
You may have already asked yourself this question without finding the answer. Some see it as the location of the increasingly numerous on-board electronic sensors on modern vehicles. Others see there as hiding places for reversing camera radars, but they are wrong! If you’ve never needed to find out what’s behind that little “cap,” that’s a pretty good sign. But if one day your car breaks down, it’s better to know what they’re for.
This small body part actually hides the attachment point for the towing eye, the hero of the situation when a breakdown leaves you stuck on the spot. It is in fact what allows a vehicle to be towed by another when it can no longer drive on its own. A simple screwdriver or small pointed tool allows you to remove the cover in seconds.
Once the attachment point is discovered, simply screw the hook of the tow bar there – most often stored with the spare wheel under the trunk floor – to be able to attach the recovered vehicle to the recovery vehicle. It’s a simple, effective and often underestimated way to save the day in emergency situations.
Why then have such a practical part been hidden so much, to the point that many motorists are unaware that their car is equipped with it? Formerly visible, the towing eyes must now be fixed by the motorist himself for a simple question of aesthetics. And their attachment point is simply hidden so as not to make the silhouette of the cars look ugly. Remember that the design and aesthetics of a car remain by far the number one criterion for a customer when purchasing a car. Towing eyes have therefore not disappeared, and fortunately because they can be very useful. You still need to know that it is behind these mysterious little trapdoors that they have made their nest!
