Power Windows in Cars Can Pose Danger to Kids
March 18, 2006— -- This past New Year's Eve, Wayne Gaerlan of Colorado Springs, Colo., left his 3-year-old daughter, Sarah, with her brothers in the car for just a moment.
"I pulled into the driveway and, you know, just said, 'I'll be right back,'" he said. "Then went outside shortly thereafter and that's when I saw -- Sarah's head sticking out of the window. As I got close to her I saw that, you know, the window had come up and her head was stuck in the window."
Sarah died later of her injuries.
"I kept expecting to wake up from a dream, that it couldn't be real," Sarah's stepmother, Becky Gaerlan, said.
More than 500 people a year go to the emergency room as a result of a power-window accident. More than 30 children have died over the last 10 years. Most cars on the road today have power windows, which can close at the touch of a button in less than six seconds.
"I don't think parents really realize the potential danger of power windows," said David Champion, the director of auto testing for Consumer Reports.
Many power windows are activated by a rocker switch, which Champion said is at the root of the problem.
"The most risky switch is the rocker switch," he said. "If a child puts their knee on the side, it can raise the window and strangulate the child."
Consumer advocates say one easy fix is for all automakers to install safer "lever" switches that require a lifting motion to activate. The additional cost to automakers is about $8 to $10 a window.
In a statement to ABC News, the Automobile Alliance, which represents General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, said "As soon as this was identified as a safety issue, automakers immediately began phasing out the rocker switches and replacing them with lever switches."
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