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May 05, 2006
POWER WINDOW PETITION GRANTED BY NHTSA
Responding to a petition filed in October, 2004 by safety groups, NHTSA has decided to ban dangerous power window rocker or toggle switches from U.S. manufactured passenger vehicles. At least 50 children reportedly have been killed and thousands of children and adults have been injured by power windows. Rocker and toggle switches allow young children to inadvertently activate power windows that can trap children by the head or arm, resulting in death and serious injury. In a new rule issued April 12, 2006, the agency will instead require safer pull-up or pull-out switch designs that have been standard on European and Japanese vehicles for years.
“While this rule change will improve safety by reducing some of the accidental power window injuries that take place each year, unfortunately, occupants will still be able to activate power windows using the pull-up or pull-out switches without knowing that another occupant has their fingers, hand or arm in the window path,” a statement by the petitioners said. To eliminate child deaths and injuries caused by power windows, they had also asked NHTSA to consider requiring “auto reverse” technology. This technology causes power windows to stop and then reverse direction automatically when an object, such as the hand or head of a child, is in the path of the window. “The same type of technology is already in widespread use to prevent deaths and injuries resulting from accidental closure of garage and elevator doors. It is also standard equipment on many vehicles sold in Europe, including makes and models sold by U.S. automakers,” the petitioners pointed out. The agency denied that part of the petition.
Posted by MVHAP at May 5, 2006 07:10 PM