Power windows, little fingers, big trouble

A Leawood nonprofit recently landed a big prize: A mention in The New York Times.

Kids and Cars maintains a database that tracks deaths and injuries to children left unattended in or around motor vehicles. On November 2, the group’s founder and president, Janette Fennell, spoke at a press conference in Washington, D.C., about power windows.

Fennell complained that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) undercounts power window-related injuries. Kids and Cars wants the agency to require that automakers equip power windows with an auto-reverse feature, much like a garage door with sensors backtracks if it detects motion. In the Times story, Fannell said it would cost $150 million to make the auto-reverse feature standard.

Here’s video of Fennell speaking in Washington: