# Power windows are death traps **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 23, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-windows-are-death-traps/190432 "2003-07-23T18:01:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-windows-are-death-traps/190432/21 "2003-07-24T02:36:21Z")
My 2002 Saturn came with manual windows, and I prefer them. I don’t think powered windows are a hazard, but I do find them rather annoying. I dislike having to dig out the keys whenever I want to crack the windows outside my house when the car is parked. I also feel they’re not worth the extra cost and complexity. It’s got to add to the cost of the car to have powered windows, and I’d just as soon save the money and crank the windows manually. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-windows-are-death-traps/190432/22 "2003-07-24T11:35:52Z")
I see your point, **Gassendi** , but I sometimes wish I had the power ones (I have a '99 Saturn). When I am driving with my dog in the back, I’d like to be able to lower and raise the windows without having to lean over while stopped at a traffic light (since no one else is in the car). It’s just a minor annoyance, though. ---
**Author:** ![racekarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6bbea6/32.png) [@racekarl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racekarl)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-windows-are-death-traps/190432/23 "2003-07-24T12:36:53Z")
If it’s cites you want it’s cites you shall have And I can’t help myself from edititorializing a bit about the links posted by **chula**. No offense, but some of those links are from woman’s magazines and TV news stations, not exactly experts in the field. They seem to do nothing more than repeat without question the concern in the OP. Just because someone puts something in their story uncritically does not make it true. Finally, your last link confirms my point, here is a quote from it: > [@](#): > > Power windows may work for a short while even as the vehicle starts to sink underwater. Once the window motors or switches get soaked, they will generally short out and the windows and electric door locks will no longer operate. However, the vehicle’s battery may continue to put out electricity (possibly up to one hour), making it possible for headlights to be visible in as much as 20 feet of water. Here however I have an article about that school I mentioned in the Netherlands that teaches escape from submerged cars, in it you will see that power windows are explicitly mentioned, and yes, they will operate. > **[2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10](https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15136932/2003-dodge-viper-srt-10-first-drive-review/)** > > The new, improved hyper-Viper. Here also is a link to the team page of the NERDS who competed on junkyward wars. They constructed a wet submarine out of car electrical parts. They used a normal car battery, a starter motor and car wiring. Their sub ran just fine underwater and in fact they won the challenge. They address at length the reasons why car electrics operate just fine underwater. [http://www.the-nerds.org/submarine-design-notes.html](http://www.the-nerds.org/submarine-design-notes.html) I guess in the end we can all agree that the safest thing to do is roll down your power windows ASAP if you enter water, as they will eventually stop working, as will everything else in the car. However, it is simply not true to say that power windows are death traps, which is what the OP asserted. ---
**Author:** ![kputt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@kputt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kputt)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-windows-are-death-traps/190432/24 "2003-07-24T13:26:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*I keep a window smashing hammer with a seat belt cutter right under my parking brake. Maybe I’ll need it, maybe someone else will. > > What scares me about the power windows is that children have accidentally strangled themselves by sticking their head out the window and then hitting the button to raise it with their leg. > > A preventative fix is sorely needed. \*\* My car has power window locks so that only the front passangers can control the windows. Once your car is emerged, I’m sure the power windows will work still. If not, find something hard and break the window and leave as quickly as possible. ---
**Author:** ![kputt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@kputt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kputt)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-windows-are-death-traps/190432/25 "2003-07-24T13:28:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JuanitaTech \* > \*\*Are manual windows even an option anymore? \*\* Yes. Power windows are an option, and even if you do get a car that comes with power windows, you can get manual ones, I think with GM. I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![pestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-windows-are-death-traps/190432/26 "2003-07-24T15:33:30Z")
I swore I’d never do this, but the temptation was just too great. Forgive me! \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > Here’s [one](http://www.wral.com/news/2330608/detail.html) of several links that came up when I googled “power window death child”. \*\* **BAND NAME!** ---
**Author:** ![ProzacGod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@ProzacGod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProzacGod)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-windows-are-death-traps/190432/27 "2003-07-24T15:48:10Z")
First I’d like to point out, that if there is ANY air in the car, the outside pressure from the water, will not allow you to open the door. Second the water being displaced by the opening of your car door, will suffice it to say, make it very difficult to open the car door. How do I know this, first hand as a matter of fact. If you’re intrested here is the story. When I was 17 I had a girlfriend of 15, neither of us had drivers licenses, I never cared as such, simply because I never had a car. Nicely enough my supervisor at work decided that he needed a new car (I worked as a software developer at a local software house, yes at 17! Actually started at 15 🙂 ) and GAVE me his old car, this car was well used it had a 165000 miles and it was an 87 honda civic. I loved that car. It had 206000 when it died. Well the story goes that I had the car for about 2 weeks, when my girlfriend was over I was wanting to show off, have fun, or both. and we went driving in my granparents lower field, no big deal, just some fun. The car had a manual transmission and I was very impressed at how well she was doing, and after a few circles in the field I decided she should take the car back to the house, and park it in the lower parking lot. I said “take it on up”, and she oblidged me. Yet for some reason when she got to the top of the driveway, and made her right turn for the parking lot, she didn’t stop going right. And drove the car into the deepest part of our lake. She was panicked and freaking out, (not to say that I wasn’t, I was just suppressing it until I got out :P) I told her to roll down the window, and get out, but she wouldn’t listen. She did roll down the window, but was to frazzled to actually get out of the car. The water rose to about my ankles when I realized that we really needed to get out of here, and I was curious about the whole water pressure thing strangely enough, and opened the door for grins.(she didn’t like that) but the door only opened about a quarter inch, maybe a half inch, it was easy getting it opened that much, but anything more would have required more strength than superman. (maybe not… but it sounds good), I tried again whent he water came over the door through the window (I never felt I was in any danger, stupid me…) and it still didn’t open, it was immensly more difficult than you can ever imagine. At that point I told her it was now or never, since we are in a 2 ton boat that wasnt’ designed to float. I slide/floated onto the edge of the window. and pushed off, thinking that she was doing the same. Nope, she was lunging for me. (stupid girl) With my displacement on the vehicle, it went down even more, water rushed in and forced her into the back seat. The windows were up in the back seat. While the car was sinking she was banging on the back glass, screaming for help, and there was nothing I could do. Fortunately for me, and unfortunate for therapists out there, she survived, she dove and managed to make it through the passenger window, how she missed getting caught in the seat belts or anything else, we’ll never know. So thats my story, and I’m sticking to it. 😛 If you guys want pictures, I have pictures of it being towed out. Like I said, the car had 206000 miles on it when it died, yes I drove it for 2.5 years after it drowned. The next day(sunday) after it was submerged(Sat.), I stripped the interior (completely empty) and put it on the trailer took it to my uncles shop, we dried out the engine, (displaced the water with lots of oil,) and the car started on wed. It smoked a nice thick white oil smoke for about 30 min. but it was running 🙂 -David P.S. Don’t drive a car into a lake, and BTW NOBODY is allowed to drive either of my cars. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-windows-are-death-traps/190432/28 "2003-07-24T16:24:48Z")
Whew **pestie** , that cracked me up good. ---
**Author:** ![smaft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@smaft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smaft)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-windows-are-death-traps/190432/29 "2003-07-26T22:41:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racekarl \* > (it’s a big problem there with all the dykes). Wha? Oh, sorry- you meant actual “dykes”. My mistake. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-windows-are-death-traps/190432/30 "2003-07-26T23:58:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racekarl \* > **And I can’t help myself from edititorializing a bit about the links posted by chula. No offense, but some of those links are from woman’s magazines and TV news stations, not exactly experts in the field.** But they’re citing experts in the field. I listed all the references I found indiscrimimately, because _every single_ source agreed that the controls would likely short out after a few minutes. Your Car and Driver cite does as well: > [@](#): > > electric ones usually work _for a while_ in water, What do “usually” and “a while” mean? I don’t know, but it certainly indicates that there is some danger they will not open, while you have asserted that there is no danger whatsoever. > [@](#): > > Finally, your last link confirms my point, here is a quote from it: > [snip]Once the window motors or switches get soaked, they will generally short out and the windows and electric door locks will no longer operate. Huh? Your point was that the window motors will short out and cease to operate? ---
**Author:** ![Pablito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@Pablito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pablito)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-windows-are-death-traps/190432/31 "2003-07-27T02:29:28Z")
I used to carry a nail punch in my car ashtray just in case I did drive into a lake and the windows wouldn’t work. Simply hold the punch firmly in your hand and press the point against the middle of the window. It (hopefully) will shatter and you can easily break it out and swim out. Maybe carrying around one of these will make the OP feel more safe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-windows-are-death-traps/190432.md?page=1)