Is your car equipped with power windows? If so, be watchful, for they could cause accidents, and may even pose a life-threatening hazard to young children under extreme conditions.
It was reported that at least 25 children died from injuries involving power windows in cars over the past decade in the United States, according to Kids and Cars, a non-profit US group that tracks auto-safety issues involving children.
For cars with inferior designs, a typical scenario of such tragedy may be as follows: parent leaves his/her child alone in a parked car without removing the ignition key, and a child has his/her head out of the window and the knee on the door's armrest, which leads the child to inadvertently pushing the switch; the power window then inexorably moves up and chokes the child.
In Hong Kong, according to the Transport Department, there is no record of accidents and complaints involving power windows. Nonetheless, car owners should still take due precaution to forestall such tragedies.
Motorists and parents should pay close attention to the design and location of the switches of the cars. There are three types of power window switches, namely, Lever switches, Rocker switches, and Toggle switches.
Among them, the Lever type has the safest design because they can be activated only by the users scooping their fingers underneath the switch and pull it up in order to raise the window. This design could prevent the child from accidentally activating the switch.
Rocker and Toggle switches, on the other hand, are inherently more risky if they are mounted horizontally on the armrest of the car door. Rocker switches work by pressing one end or the other end of the switch, while Toggle switches by pushing forward or pulling backward.
Particular attention should be given to some vehicles which do not cut off the power supply to the window switches even when the ignition key is removed.
To enhance safety, it is recommended that all power windows should be equipped with auto-reverse sensors so that when the window strikes an obstruction on the way up, it could automatically reverse.
This anti-trap function is especially important for power windows with one-touch up feature, in which the user simply needs to tap the switch once and up goes the window all the way. Fortunately, most new cars which have power windows with one-touch up feature, are also equipped with auto-reverse sensors, according to a recent Council's survey.
It is understood that the Transport Department is presently studying the issue and will consider the need for regulation on the safety standard of power windows.
The Council has conducted a survey on power windows of private cars, to identify the types of power window switches commonly in use in cars in Hong Kong. Consumers are urged to consult the report in this June issue of CHOICE.
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