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December 31, 2006

CHILD POWER-WINDOW DEATHS POINT UP NEED FOR ACTION

In April, under pressure from Congress, NHTSA published a rule which it said “enhances the safety of power window switches to prevent child deaths and injuries caused by inadvertent closing of car windows… The measure requires that all passenger vehicles manufactured for sale in the United States, on or after October 1, 2008, be equipped with a safer switch. The rule prohibits ‘rocker’ or ‘toggle’ switches in favor of pull up-push down switches.”

But the rule fails to require power window designs that automatically reverse the window’s direction when it meets resistance, such as pressure from a child’s head, neck or extremity. That is what is needed to substantially reduce power window deaths and injuries to children, say some safety advocates, including Consumers Union and Kids and Cars. Legislation to mandate such designs was allowed to languish in the last session of Congress, but almost certainly will be revived in January.

The recent power-window strangulation death of a three-year-old girl in the Detroit area has brought home the importance of the issue. According to reports, the child, who was not restrained, died when her head became trapped between the top of the window and the frame. The vehicle was a Pontiac Vibe SUV. Janette Fennell of Kids and Cars told the Detroit Free Press that statistics about power-window injuries or deaths are hard to find because the U.S. government counts only accidents involving moving vehicles, and most window injuries occur in parked cars. “Still, she said an estimated 500 injuries are reported from such accidents every year, half involving children. In 2003, eight children nationwide died after being trapped by power windows, she said.” The Detroit News editorially opposed adoption of new safety standards for power window operation, stating that “knee-jerk, emotional reaction” to child deaths did not justify federal rulemaking.

Posted by MVHAP at December 31, 2006 11:52 AM