Report - 350 die annually in 'noncrash' accidents

WASHINGTON -- About 350 people die each year in "non-crash" motor vehicle accidents, with most succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning, federal safety officials said Tuesday. There are roughly 200 such deaths annually, most occurring in cold weather when people leave their vehicles running in a garage or other enclosed space, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Some of the victims were drunk and passed out in running vehicles. The report only included deaths that weren't reported as suicides.

NHTSA recommends people check their mufflers and exhaust pipes once a year for holes that would allow carbon monoxide to get into vehicles. Drivers should clear snow from the tailpipe and keep a window open when a vehicle is idling.

The study also found 120 people are killed when vehicles back over them, with the vast majority of victims either very young or very old.

Safety groups have been pushing for the installation of rearview cameras or beeping devices to alert drivers when someone is behind a vehicle. A transportation bill passed by the Senate would require NHTSA to evaluate which warning devices are most effective.

The bill also would require changes in the design of power window switches in U.S. vehicles so it's more difficult for children to press them accidentally. Four children die each year because they get stuck in power windows, according to the NHTSA.

A House version of the Senate bill doesn't include the safety requirements. Lawmakers are expected to draft a compromise by July.

The NHTSA also found 29 children die each year after being left inside excessively hot vehicles.

The agency decided to study non-crash accidents after 11 children died from excessive heat when they locked themselves in trunks in the summer of 1998. NHTSA has since required latches in trunks so people can free themselves if they're locked in.

NHTSA studied 4,046 death certificates from 35 states and the District of Columbia and then estimated the nationwide numbers. All deaths in the study occurred in 1998, but spokesman Rae Tyson said NHTSA believes the numbers apply to more recent years, too.

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NHTSA: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov