Car Windows Kill Kids

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Thursday, September 18, 2008

filed under: family

Read on for how to protect your child.

You may have heard about the recent death of a three-year-old child in Los Angeles whose father left him alone in the car to make a phone call. The toddler managed to wedge himself into a power window, pushed the button and died from a severe neck compression injury. Then on Monday, a three-year-old girl's head was entrapped in a van window in a fast-food parking lot, and she's now fighting for her life in a Texas hospital.

These are not isolated incidents:

• A two-year-old Calgary girl whose head was caught in the power window of a running SUV died after her mom left the girl and her six-year-old brother in the car while she ran an errand. The older child had unbuckled his seatbelt because his sister was crying. But he fell asleep soon after and the toddler activated the power window with her knee as she looked out the window, becoming stuck.

• Three-year-old Steve Faulkner was calling to his friends from the window of his parent's car when he accidentally activated the power window switch with his knee, causing the window to close on his neck. The window cut off his oxygen supply and he died in a hospital the same night.

• Two-year-olds Zoie Gates and Keymone Leggett were both strangled by power window in separate incidents in 2001.

• Eleven-year-old Mitchell Johnson died of asphyxiation after he trapped his head in a power window of his parents' car.

Power windows may sound like a luxury option, but safety experts say they pose a life-threatening hazard for children.

"According to our research, 87% of parents have no idea power windows can kill," says Janette Fennell, founder and president of Kids and Cars. "Power windows have 40 to 80 lbs of pressure and it only takes 20 lbs to kill a child."

Here are three ways to keep your kids safe:

Take note of your surroundings: Fennell says many of these deaths occur while in the parent is in the car with their child, who may absently roll up the backseat window without making sure their child's hand or head isn't leaning against it.

Have control of the windows: Most cars come equipped with a "lock out" switch, which allows the driver -- and only the driver -- to operate all windows in the car.

Never leave kids alone in the car: Most of these tragedies occur when a grown-up has to run inside a store or pay the parking meter. It may be seem harmless, but by leaving the car running, you run a huge risk.

Check out this chilling video demonstration on how quickly power windows can kill.

12 comments so far | Post a comment now >>

That video is chilling.

- Anonymous

Posted 09/18/08 01:21 PM

That video is downright scarry!!! I always use my lock out feature on the windows when the kids are in the car.

- M.L.

Posted 09/18/08 02:39 PM

It’s commom sense people. DON’T leave your kids alone in a car.

- Anonymous

Posted 09/18/08 03:12 PM

The back windows on my 4 dr Plymouth Neon are manual (hand crank )and only go down half way. While the front ones are electric.

- Lindy

Posted 09/18/08 03:16 PM

Children should be supervised at ALL times. Look up parents!

- EmilyR

Posted 09/18/08 04:47 PM

It sounds like the problem here is inattentive (if only temporarily) parents not the car windows. they’re young kids, you could put them in a bubble and they would still figure out a way to hurt themselves if you are not paying proper attention.

- birdsfly

Posted 09/18/08 11:23 PM

This can even happen when the parent is in the car. In the case in Texas, there was adult in the front seat driving when it happened. It’s imperative to activate those child locks on the windows so they can’t put them up or down

- Julie Taylor

Posted 09/19/08 03:09 AM

30 yrs ago, my husbands 7 yr old sister went out to the family station wagon, got in the back to get a blanket and it started to rain, she leaned out the back window and turned the key to close the window and got caught, she passed away that day. Tragedy strikes even with older children and taking many precautions. Use every tool and story to teach our children, so these childrens’ death won’t be in vain.

- b

Posted 09/19/08 08:31 AM

It can happen so quickly. It has happened to my dog!!! He’s fine, I stopped it in time, but if they’re pressing on that button and don’t realize it until it’s too late. Also panic sets in.

- Teri

Posted 09/19/08 08:31 AM

Parents we have too be more careful, this is not the first time we’ve been warned about this. Nothings more important than our child’s safety, so lets make it a habit to put on all safety proof devices in our cars and if your child is under the age of twelve let’s take them in the store with us.

- JOHNNIE

Posted 09/19/08 02:15 PM

At one time in my life I use to work in retail. The one thing I learned in retail is how stupid the general population really is. Kids being killed by power windows in cars, doesn’t really surprise me when I saw parents act like the toy department in a retail store is a free babysitter while they go and shop. Parents seem to lack the ability to take care of their kids these days. Parents also seem to lack common sense too, but that is another story…

- Sara

Posted 09/27/08 02:21 AM

My husband’s car has one of those buttons that locks the windows—which is good because our son would have a ball playing with the window. My minivan has power windows in the driver’s and passenger’s doors, and the two rear windows are also power windows. I don’t have to worry because a) my son sits in the middle row, whose windows don’t open and b) even if he were in the back bench, the controls are up in the front with me. My main concern there would be him dropping something out the window. Seriously, don’t leave children alone in the car!

- Alexandra

Posted 09/30/08 12:56 PM