Appendix
VIII - Summaries Of Articles On Power Window Deaths
Simmons GT. Death by power car window. An
unrecognized hazard. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1992 Jun;13(2):112-4.
The case reported here was unusual in that it
occurred while the vehicle was being driven. Also, those who investigated
the case concluded that the power window was apparently activated by
the driver of the vehicle rather than the child who died. The victim,
a 26-month old child, was in the rear of an early 80s model passenger
car being driven by an elderly relative. When the driver arrived at
her destination, she found the child caught in a rear power window.
The police determined that the position of the switch for the power
window and the measurements of the child made it extremely unlikely
that the child had activated the switch, although apparently the child
might have done so by using her foot. Only the possibility that the
child intentionally activated the switch with her hand is addressed
and discounted in the article. There is no discussion as to whether
or not the child might have inadvertently done so with her foot.
Strauss RH, Thompson JE, Macasaet A. Accidental
strangulation by a motor vehicle window. Pediatr Emerg Care 1997
Oct;13(5):345-6.
The victim in the case reported here was a four
year nine months old child. She was in the back seat of an early 90s
model pickup truck with two siblings, one three years old, the other
one year old. The vehicle was left running with the heater on while
the driver (father) went into a neighbor’s house. Five minutes
later the victim was found trapped in the front seat passenger side
power window. The author of this case report concluded that it was most
likely that the victim or the three-year-old sibling activated the power
window and neither was able to lower the window.
Injuries Associated With Hazards Involving
Motor Vehicle Power Windows. Research Note, May 1997, National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Under an agreement between NHTSA and the Consumer
Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the CPSC identified incidents from
its National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) in which
injuries occurred as a result of several types of motor vehicle hazards,
including motor vehicle power windows. NEISS is based on a representative
sample of hospitals that provide emergency care on a 24-hour basis.
A total of 10 incidents of injuries from power windows were found in
the 12-month period, October 1, 1993 –September 30, 1994. These
incidents project to an estimated 499 persons who were injured nationwide
during this time. Most of the injuries were to the hand, wrist or finger.
All of the injuries were either “minor” or “moderate.”
Most – 64 percent of the injuries – were to children 14
years old or younger, with 32% of the injuries to children 6-14 years
of age and 32% of the injuries to children 0-5 years of age.