Power Windows
Power windows in vehicles have killed or injured thousands of children. It takes just 22 pounds of force to suffocate or injure an infant while power windows can exert an upward force of 30-80 pounds of force.
Child Tragedies
What goes up SHOULD go down. Power windows have maimed and strangled thousands of children. The anti-pinch or auto-reverse feature should be standard equipment on all power windows. This problem is all too real. These tragic stories are about children who were no match for over-powered power windows.
|
Close Calls
Below are stories of just a few children who survived powered window related situations.
|
Fact Sheet
Power windows in automobiles have killed or injured thousands of children. Since 1990 over 50 children have been killed by power windows, with untold numbers of brain injuries and amputations of fingers, etc.; most of them to children age three or younger.
click here for the power window fact sheet
Charts, Statistics, Graphics
KidsAndCars.org makes available charts and graphs to be downloaded for free and are excellent education materials. We encourage you to share, print, copy, distribute, or enlarge them; but we ask that no changes be made. Simply click on an image below to open a full PDF file of the chart.
Public Service Announcements
Heighten awareness about the dangers children face in and around motor vehicles with KidsAndCars.org’s Public Service Announcements. Please encourage TV stations, hospital, doctor offices, public health offices, parenting classes, etc., to share this life-saving information.
News
Two-year-old dies after she was left in the car and got her head trapped in the power window
April 03, 2012
Safety experts have long been campaigning for auto-reverse sensors to be mandatory on vehicle power windows.
Read MoreKeep Your Kids Safe from Power Window Accidents
January 04, 2012
Power windows have the capacity to exert enough force to fracture or crush bones or even strangle a child. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study estimated that approximately 2,000 emergency room visits each year are caused by power windows.
Read More
Power windows can be dangerously powerful for kids
October 21, 2011
As we've written about before, child safety when it comes to cars is about a lot more than purchasing the correct child seat and teaching your kids about seat belt use. Cars are simply dangerous machines for kids to be around and far too many accidents involving kids and cars have nothing to do with a car crash, but happen in our own driveways or neighborhoods because of somewhat hidden hazards.
Read More
Are Power Windows Dangerous for Kids?
June 24, 2011
There have been many stories about heatstroke, rollover accidents, even carbon monoxide poisoning. But have you heard about the potential dangers of power windows? Automatic reverse is an application for most elevators and garage doors. But what happens when something gets stuck in most power windows? It doesn't stop.
Read More
Waldeck, Matteuzzi & Sloan Law Firm Service Day at KidsAndCars.org
March 23, 2011
KidsAndCars.org would like to extend our most sincere gratitude to Meagan, Lindsey, Jolie, Christopher, Marion and Brian from the Waldeck, Matteuzzi & Sloan, P.C. law offices for dedicating their time and effort to a volunteer service day at KidsAndCars.org national headquarters.
Read More
Safety Agency Pulls Back on Power Window Rule
March 02, 2011
"We asked them not to issue the rule because it wouldn't have accomplished anything," said Janette Fennell of Kids and Cars, a safety advocacy group, in a telephone interview. "The way the rule was worded it would not have cost industry any money, nor would it have saved any lives."
Read More
U.S. Regulators Scrap Automatic-Reverse Window Rule Proposal
February 28, 2011
U.S. auto-safety regulators said they'll scrap a proposed rule to require some car windows to automatically reverse if something such as a hand or head is in their way.
Read More
Power Car Windows and Kids: Important Safety Info
September 21, 2010
A study by Harris Interactive on behalf of KidsAndCars.org estimates over 13 million US adults have injured someone while closing a power window. And more than 22 million have been or know someone who has been injured in this fashion.
Read More
Car Windows that kill; The unseen dangers of automatic power windows
September 14, 2010
The news tells of dozens of stories of children who were strangled by automatic power windows a risk many people have never even considered. Here are three ways to keep your kids safe provided by Janette Fennel creator of Kids and Cars:
Read More
The Car Accidents You Don't Think About
September 01, 2010
Every year tens of thousands of children are rolled over, caught in power windows, and even unintentionally left in vehicles. But these incidents are as preventable as they are upsetting. This is what every parent needs to know
Read MoreStudies
Below are studies specific to vehicle power window injuries and deaths. There have been several studies published about vehicle power windows but there is still much to be learned.
KidsAndCars.org Auto Reverse Power Window Survey
2006 Spring Wave 2 Report: US Consumer Advanced Automotive Technologies Report
"A Study About Power Windows in Automobiles"
Injuries Associated With Hazards Involving Motor Vehicle Power Windows