Car Windows Can Be Deadly for Children!

This comes from a bulletin where I work regarding power windows:

This past December, a Detroit family faced the ultimate tragedy -- loss of a child. What made this case particularly awful was the fact that the 3-year-old girl was riding in the car with her grandmother at the time the accident occurred. There were no other vehicles involved. In fact, the car in which the child was riding, didn't crash.

At some point, the child was most likely up and leaning partly out the window when some body part, probably her elbow or knee, leaned on the control switch for the power window.

The grandmother allegedly did not immediately realize that the child was caught in the window. The girl likely died within seconds. For some people, this may seem like a freak accident, yet children have been dying from exactly this type of scenario for decades.

Car manufacturers have redesigned power window controls in an effort to make vehicles safer, but there are still many cars and trucks with very unsafe switches. In Europe, most vehicles have a sensor built in to the window, causing it to stop and reverse direction if it encounters resistance.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is calling for mandatory installation of safer switches in all 2008 and newer vehicle models. Of course, this does not solve the problem of older vehicles still operating with the dangerous toggle or rocker-type power window control switch.

In most European vehicles, the dangerous rocker and toggle switches have been outlawed for years. The safer switch is a 'pull up for up' and 'push down for downward' movement of the window.

What can you do to add an additional margin of vehicle safety for the children (and pets) in your life? Check your car, truck or SUV today.

SAFETY CHECK

Be aware that most of these strangulation/neck injuries occur while the car is parked. These types of accidents have occurred while children are waiting unsupervised in the car, perhaps with the ignition in the "accessory" position so they can listen to the radio while they're waiting for you. Never leave the keys in the car with children.

Some cars, although not too many, have power windows that operate even when the ignition key is in the "off" position. Of course, this is an even worse scenario making it risky to allow kids in the car unsupervised at all.

The switches that have caused so much trouble are still in many vehicles. The one implicated in December's tragedy was a Pontiac Vibe SUV. The toggle or rocker switch is a type of window control that needs just a push downward to make the window move up or down. It's the switch that has a double-ended control -- one side moves it up and the other, down.

It's easy to see how a small child might accidentally activate it while trying to get a better view out the window.

Power windows are fast and strong. Researches note that the force of a power window is enough to lift a small child of even 50 or 60 pounds right off the seat. And it's nearly impossible for a child to move quickly enough out of the window's way. In most cases, the child likely had no idea that he or she was kneeling or leaning on the switch and made no attempt to move.

Until all vehicles are made safer, don't allow your child to be in a car unattended. If your child is going to be traveling with others, check out the windows as well as other safety features. Be sure your child is secured in a seat belt or car seat while the car is in motion.