FORD ESCAPE HAS POWER ASSIST TAILGATE FEATURE WHICH OPENS AND CLOSES TAILGATE. ADDITIONAL FEATURE INCLUDES SENSOR UNDER REAR BUMPER WHICH DETECTS FOOT MOVEMENT, THEN OPENS, OR CLOSES THE TAILGATE, AFFORDING OPERATOR THE ABILITY TO OPEN, OR CLOSE TAILGATE BY MOVING FOOT ACROSS VISUAL PATH OF SENSOR. TAILGATE HAS PROPENSITY TO CLOSE FROM OPEN POSITION WHILE LOADING OR UNLOADING REAR CARGO AREA. ALTHOUGH TAILGATE WILL STOP WHEN IT ENCOUNTERS RESISTANCE, AS IN A PERSON STANDING BEHIND VEHICLE, A PERSON WITH HANDS FULL AND TURNING AWAY FROM VEHICLE AT SAME TIME, CAN HIT THEIR HEAD ON CLOSING TAILGATE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME SEVERAL TIMES, INCLUDING ON APRIL 11, 2017, RESULTING IN A SERIOUS GASH ACROSS MY FOREHEAD. OLDER INDIVIDUALS SHOULD BE WARNED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF TAILGATE SENSOR DETECTING FOOT MOVEMENT AND ACTIVATING TAILGATE CLOSURE WHILE PERSON IS LOADING OR UNLOADING CARGO AREA. TURNING UNEXPECTEDLY AND STRIKING HEAD ON EDGE OF TAILGATE GENERATES FORCE STRONG ENOUGH TO KNOCK AN OLDER PERSON DOWN, RESULTING IN FURTHER INJURY. VEHICLE IS STATIONARY WHEN ENCOUNTERING THIS ISSUE.