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Is it possible to cut your arm off by rolling it up in a car window?
Help me win a debate. Elevators will not shut on a human limb because they detect its presence and automatically open back up. If you were to sick your hand through your car window and roll it up, would it apply enough force to sever your arm?
voted interesting: bunnyphuphu M$0.10
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I could only find some basic information on power windows.
In a case by Kathryn Barnett, she states that in study done that most power windows can exert an upward force of 50 to 80 pounds, when only 8 to 12 pounds is needed to push the actual weight of the window up.
http://www.lieffcabraser.com/pdf/20050400_KEB_ATLA_article.pdf
Car manufactures made adjustments for this problem in the late 80's and early 90's.
If you have an older car with power windows that doesn't have an auto-reverse mechanism... you might be able to do some damage!
If you have a new car, you'd only pinch yourself hard and cuss real loud.
(if you don't have power windows and would like them on your old clunker... you might want to check out this video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gadOiOarQI
Now... power sunroofs are a different 'animal' altogether!
*please note that no kittehs were harmed in the making of this commercial!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dzi_8Rscfs
In a case by Kathryn Barnett, she states that in study done that most power windows can exert an upward force of 50 to 80 pounds, when only 8 to 12 pounds is needed to push the actual weight of the window up.
http://www.lieffcabraser.com/pdf/20050400_KEB_ATLA_article.pdf
Car manufactures made adjustments for this problem in the late 80's and early 90's.
If you have an older car with power windows that doesn't have an auto-reverse mechanism... you might be able to do some damage!
If you have a new car, you'd only pinch yourself hard and cuss real loud.
(if you don't have power windows and would like them on your old clunker... you might want to check out this video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gadOiOarQI
Now... power sunroofs are a different 'animal' altogether!
*please note that no kittehs were harmed in the making of this commercial!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dzi_8Rscfs
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voted helpful: buddawiggi
There is not enough torque in the mechanism that rolls car windows up to actually cut your arm off, but you can certainly crush the bone and do major damage to the blood vessels, skin, and muscles.
i think not. because power windows are slow even with the old roller window, :)
No as dsaldridge said the motors installed in cars do not possess enough torque to sever or even crush the bones of the arm of an adult. A child's fingers might be small enough to break and depending on the angle possibly the ulna (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulna) could be fractured but I doubt it. I would expect that you could get some pretty bad bruising from a window but that's about it. Now the sunroof...
pk
pk
To answer your question, no, there is no way possible that you could cut your arm off with a car window. The motors that run the power windows are actually extremely week and break down constantly. This is why you may notice (depending on where you live; I live in Canada and it gets very cold) that a window will not even open or close depending on the amount of ice build up, or a frozen motor. The density of the bone is WAY too high to be able to be broken by a small motor, and the skin is very flexible and would bend down to your bone, where the bone would stop the motor. You will definatley have marks on your skin, but thats all you will get. A few blood vessels may burst, but that is also no big deal.
source(s):
Has occurred many of times to myself. All of my family is mechanics as well, and I know how the motor operates, and what the motor looks like.
Has occurred many of times to myself. All of my family is mechanics as well, and I know how the motor operates, and what the motor looks like.
No it's not possible unless you have a power saw attached to the top of the window glass to cut your arm off! Car power windows are usually moved up & down by a very low power motor. It'll take a very powerful window motor to cut off a limb. Not possible.
I just tried this a couple of days ago, I was a passenger in a car with my hand outside of the window when the driver (not realizing my hand was outside the window) pushed the button to raise the windows.
You will be happy to know that my hand is still connected to my arm.
You will be happy to know that my hand is still connected to my arm.
i doubt it, ive slammer my hand in a door once and nothing happened... minor bruise. But a window rolling up on your arm i doubt anything would happen.. Try it.. let me know what happens lol... No JK
mike !
mike !
No. If the car has power windows, they will stall out before they could create enough force to sever a human arm. Crank windows are even more feeble, as the crank arm would strip off or break off totally. I would not want my arm trapped between the window and frame, as it would be very painful, and if left long enough tissue damage would occur. Some luxury brands like BMW have "anti-trap" software to prevent hurting the occupants in such an event.
Child suffocation deaths are another issue, and some designs are more prone to this risk. Avoid leaving children around unlocked cars in any event, it's just not worth the risk.
Child suffocation deaths are another issue, and some designs are more prone to this risk. Avoid leaving children around unlocked cars in any event, it's just not worth the risk.
source(s):
http://www.sae.org/technical/papers/1999-01-1333
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/video-hub/cars/safety/power-window-dange...
http://www.sae.org/technical/papers/1999-01-1333
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/video-hub/cars/safety/power-window-dange...
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