Power windows are a relatively small but persistent cause of injury or death, particularly among young children. On average, 1 or 2 children are killed each year; the most (5) deaths were reported in 1998.¹ The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that about 500 people are injured by power windows each year. Most are children younger than 15.²

Most result when windows are unintentionally closed while someone's finger, wrist, hand, arm, or even head is in the window. In documented power window cases involving child injury or death, children often were left inside a vehicle without adult supervision. Children put their heads and/or arms outside the window and inadvertently leaned, knelt, or stepped on the window switch or in some other way triggered the power window.³ There also have been cases in which an adult unknowingly trapped a child when closing a window.⁴

Sixty-eight percent of incidents result in fractures or crushed body parts. Other injuries include bruising, dislocation, laceration, and strain or sprain.² Deaths among children have occurred after their head, neck, or midsection had been trapped in the window for 5 or more minutes and they couldn't be resuscitated. In cases involving multiple children in a car, those who witnessed the injury were more likely to panic and call for help rather than try to operate the power window.

There are three types of switches: rocker, toggle, and lever (push-pull) switches.

Rocker	Toggle	Lever

Rocker switches are designed to pivot on a center hinge, effectively operating like a see-saw.

Toggle switches operate using small levers that push back and forth to open and close a window.

Lever or push down/pull up switches function by pressing down on the switch to open the window, but the switch must be actively pulled up to close the window.

With rocker and toggle switches, commonly located on door armrests, downward pressure (e.g., a child kneeling or leaning) on the switch can result in windows opening or closing. With lever switches, which also are commonly located on door armrests, windows cannot be closed due to unintentional pressure.³ Regulations issued by the federal government require manufacturers to equip all new passenger vehicles with lever switches by Oct. 1, 2010.

This type of power window automatically retracts when sensors detect an obstruction to closing (similar to the action of automatic-reverse elevator doors or garage doors.) Child safety advocates support automatic-reverse windows as an added measure to prevent power-window-related injuries and deaths. In February 2008 the Gulbransen Act was signed by Congress requesting NHTSA to consider a regulation mandating automatic-reverse windows under the car safety act.