Car Power Windows - Research Paper Example

Car Power Windows The original car models from the 1800's did not look like the cars that we know today. Instead, they looked like open carriages minus the horse used to pull the carriage around. But in the 1920's, the “closed” car was invented, changing the history of cars as we know it. Since cars now had windows, a window regulator needed to be designed in order to allow for the opening and closing of the window by the car passenger. These windows were manually opened at the time, using a window riser attached to a cable pulley system. The same method by which all manual cars are still opened today. However, car designs evolved over the years and its components were modified to suit the particular needs of the people or model of the car. It was this need to deliver a new method of opening car windows that led to the invention of the car power window. One would think that the car window is one part of the car that would not have required any changes to its system. After all, all cars have air-conditioning so the windows will always be up. If it isn't too hot outside the car, it may be too cold. In which case the window still won't have to go down because the windows have to help keep the heat in the car. These are indisputable facts that all car owners acknowledge. The car power window was introduced as the cutting edge of car safety and technology in the 1940's. There is still a bit of discussion and debate raging among car aficionados pertaining to who really invented the power window. While some say it was created in 1940 by the Packard car company (“History of Cars”) , others believe it was Daimler who first introduced the product in 1948 (Bellis, Mary “Automobile History”). The only sure piece of information pertaining to the invention of the power window is that it was incorporated into the Ford model cars in 1941 (“History of Cars”). The invention of the car power window led to the creation of a whole new workforce on the car product line and resulted in the creation of a new industry that employed thousands of people. The car companies tried to adapt the new technology into their automobiles at the soonest possible time due to the increasing demand from the car buyers. One may think that the car power window would not have caught on the way it did with other consumers since the manual window riser system worked perfectly fine in most instances. However, the ease and convenience of having to only flick a switch on the dashboard or side panel in order to raise or lower a window had its benefits. On the safety aspect of driving, the power windows allowed the driver to open and close his windows without having to be distracted for even a split second while driving. This distraction exists in the manual window riser method to this very day. A car with a power window mechanism is also harder for car thieves to break into as the power window cannot be jimmied open. The power window in cars has served to make driving a more enjoyable experience for both the drivers and passengers since the motorized method of opening the car window gives them a new take on the formerly purely manual method of accomplishing the task. However, that does not mean that the power car window is without problems. Unlike its manual counterpart, there have been many system, design, and function problems that have arisen from the increasing use of the power window system in today's modern car. These problems exist even though the power windows are practically the de-facto standard for car windows these days as manual windows are very hard to find and are usually sold only with the most low-cost model cars (Wiesenfelder, Joe “Car Options: Which Ones Are Worth the Investment?”) . As I previously mentioned, power windows pose some hazardous problems for its users due to the ease of use and full mechanical function of the window. Some of these problems include (Carrie, Chet “Types of Car Windows”): 1. Being at the mercy of the car power supply. Once a car develops and alternator or battery problem and dies on the road, the passenger is trapped inside the car without an option to get out aside from breaking the window open. 2. A car power window is more expensive to repair once the system breaks down due to the fully mechanical and electrical function of the system. The aforementioned is the mere start of the disadvantages of using the power window system in cars. Most of the government regulatory bodies and motorist groups have compiled various complaints, problems, and dangers in the use of power car windows. A study in 2012 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that power windows have cause a significant number of deaths among children. Their report explains that (“Q&A: Power Windows and Child Safety”): There is no comprehensive database that tracks power window injuries or deaths. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration counted an average of five children 14 and younger killed by power windows each year in 2003-2004. The agency estimated that approximately 1,000 children a year were injured by power windows in 2003-2006. The deaths of these children were caused by the accidental rising of the lowered window. In a manual riser system, the lever would be facing in a downward position once the window is fully lowered. It is not capable of automatically raising the window pane while an object is sticking out of the window. However, that situation does not exist in the case of a car power window. These motorized window risers could accidentally rise up when a child accidentally brushes against the controls in a care. A clear example of this case can be seen in the accidental death of Mitchel Johnson, an 11-year old whose life was cut short when the power window in their family car accidentally closed while he was looking out of the window. Tatiana Morales of CBS News(Power Windows are Perilous) explains that: “Mitchell was waiting in the car while his mother was watching his younger brother in a school play. He was spitting sunflower seeds out the window-when he accidentally caused the power window to roll up on his neck -trapping him and suffocating him. “ According to reports from consumer groups, the rate of child deaths in relation to accidental power window rising is quite alarming. Reports indicate that (Morales, Tatiana “Power Windows are Perilous”): At least seven American children have died in the last 3 months, strangled in accidents involving power windows. But the danger is no secret to carmakers or the federal government. Consumer advocates have been pushing for safer power windows for almost a decade. Further research shows that not all of the accidental window rising situations result in death for the child. The National Institute for Highway Safety (“Q&A: Power Windows and Child Safety”) explains that there are other outcomes in such instances. Some of the results include: Sixty-eight percent of incidents result in fractures or crushed body parts. Other injuries include bruising, dislocation, laceration and strain or sprain. Children have died after their heads, necks or midsections were trapped in the window for five 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 open the power window. These situations forced the government to reassess the function and design of the power windows. That is why the U.S. government issued a ruling requiring all 2008 model cars to install power windows that a child cannot accidentally activate. According to other sources, the situation could have easily been resolved by allowing the car manufacturers to install a automatic reverse switch that would immediately lower the window the minute it comes into contact with an object on its way up. However, this ruling was reversed in 2009 by the auto safety administration. However, the federal government did require all car models from the year 2010 onwards to have lever switches instead of rocker and toggle switches in their car windows. Lever switches are believed to be the safest method of using power windows as it requires the lever to be lifted in order to close a window. It will not close a window if the child accidentally activates the switch (“Q&A: Power Windows and Child Safety”). Although lever switches have been in use with foreign cars far longer than in the U.S. cars, it is not the most effective method in preventing the accidental deaths of children and injuries in adults who use the power windows. Foreign made cars have installed what is termed as the automatic reverse power windows. The National Traffic and Safety Administration (Plungis, Jeff “Feds to Tighten Window Rules”) has been advocating the change to those switches since the year 2004. However, lobby groups and advocates have effectively silenced that quest for most people. Giving in instead, to the pressure of the car manufacturing segments when it comes to the safety features set in place for their passengers. Just like any piece of modern technology, power windows also have its drawbacks But not everybody expected the drawback to have a direct effect on the life of the person involved. The information gathered rather proves that with the advent of technological advancements, one should always expect some of the worst case scenarios to take place before the problem and situations are beaten. In the end, we have to acknowledge the fact that although car power windows have significant benefits and safety features, it only balances out with the dangers of the technology once it comes into full use. Works Cited Bellis, Mary. “Automobile History”. Inventors. About.com. n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. Carrie, Chet. “Types of Car Windows”. eHow Money. eHow.com. n.d. 10 Web. 2012. Morales, Tatiana. “Power Windows are Perilous”. CBS. CBSNews.com. 5 Dec. 2007. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. Plungis, Jeff. “Feds to Tighten Window Rules”. Home. The Center for Auto Safety. 13 Sept. 2004. Web. 7 Nov. 2012. “Q&A: Power Windows and Child Safety”. Status Report Newsletter. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Aug. 2012. Web. 7 Nov. 2012. “The History of Cars”. History of the Development in Cars. hubpages.com. n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2012. Weisenfelder, Joe. “Car Options: Which Ones Are Worth the Investment?” 16 Aug. 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. “Window Regulators”. Door Systems. kuester.net. 2008. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. Read More