In effort to prevent child deaths and injuries caused by the inadvertent closing of car windows, the government is requiring automakers to install safer power window switches in all new vehicles made for sale in the U.S. on or after October 1, 2008.

The regulatory upgrade will prohibit non-recessed “rocker” or “toggle” switches that can be unintentionally activated by a small child playing in a car, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Monday said in a statement.

“Most manufacturers are expected to comply with the new rule through the use of recessed switches, or “pull up-push down” switches that must be lifted to close the window,” the NHTSA said.

Dr. Runge and U.S. Senator Mike DeWine of Ohio, a strong advocate of child passenger safety measures, unveiled the new regulation during a visit to the Columbus Children’s Hospital in Ohio today.

“This regulation will prevent the tragedy of a child’s head or limb being caught in a power window. Although these incidents are infrequent, a simple, inexpensive remedy is available and should be standard practice,” Dr. Runge said.

The NHTSA said a small but persistent number of injuries and fatalities occur each year when young children inadvertently close power windows on themselves by leaning against a window’s switch or by kneeling or standing on it.

A number of anecdotal reports of child deaths and injuries related to power windows have been received by NHTSA in recent years. The NHTSA said these non-crash events are not yet included in its databases. But an average of three fatalities every two years have been confirmed by the agency through a recent review of death certificates.

Public Citizen, a consumer advocate group, said that at least 37 children, since 1990, most age 3 and under, have been killed by power windows, and thousands of others have been injured.

“It would cost U.S. auto manufacturers just pennies per vehicle to install new switches to fix this hazard. Yet for years they have cruelly refused to install safer window switches in American vehicles even though they are used in their European-sold models,” the group said.

European and Japanese manufacturers have installed safer switches for vehicles sold in the United States since the early 1990s.

“For just about $8, manufacturers could install auto reverse systems, which now are in about 80 percent of European models but only about 10 percent of vehicles made by Detroit-based companies. NHTSA should have made this mandatory in its standard,” Public Citizen said.

While NHTSA’s latest action is long-awaited, Public Citizen, says it still allows far too much delay for this simple fix, giving the manufacturers four years, until model year 2009, or two years longer than the deadlines contained in the NHTSA reauthorization bill passed by the full Senate last spring (S. 1072).

(via U.S. Department of Transportation)