The hole in the cap allows air to pass through, which can provide a small airflow if the cap gets stuck in someone’s throat. While it does not completely eliminate the danger, it can buy precious time for breathing until help arrives.
Because of past choking incidents, many pen manufacturers adopted this design as a safety standard.
A Design Inspired by Safety Regulations
In the past, choking hazards involving pen caps were reported in several countries. As a result, product safety organizations encouraged manufacturers to redesign pen caps to reduce the risk.
Today, many major pen brands design their caps with ventilation holes specifically for this reason.
