Windshield Wiper Fluids
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Home Workshop Tools & Equipment · CPSC Code 967
Down 29% over 5 years
The verdict
Windshield Wiper Fluids carry a danger score of 31/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 212 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 29% over the last five years.
- 31/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 212
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 12.6%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 967 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 31/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for windshield wiper fluids - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume212 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)12.6%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-29%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Windshield Wiper Fluids (CPSC product code 967, in the Home Workshop Tools & Equipment category) generate an estimated 212 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 4,247 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 31/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 29% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2007 (668 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2010 (21 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for windshield wiper fluids is poisoning to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 3,131 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by derma/conjunct to the eyeball (317 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 1,268 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 12.6% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 0 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how windshield wiper fluids fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 855 | 413 | |
| 5-14 | 404 | 43 | |
| 15-24 | 261 | 97 | |
| 25-34 | 230 | 352 | |
| 35-44 | 149 | 180 | |
| 45-54 | 238 | 288 | |
| 55-64 | 264 | 253 | |
| 65-74 | 16 | 16 | |
| 75+ | 188 | 0 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Eyeball | Derma/conjunct | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Eyeball | Burn, Chemical | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Arm | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Crushing | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Ankle | Other | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Mouth | Avulsion |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
85YOM ARRIVES WITH PAIN TO HIS LEFT RING FINGER AND EXPLAINS HE WAS CHANGING HIS WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID IN HIS CAR WHEN THE HOOD OF THE CAR FELL ONTO HIS RING FINGER AND SMASHED THE DISTAL TIP OF IT. DX: CRUSHING INJURY OF LEFT RING FINGER
2 YOM *** SQUIRTED IN BILAT EYES DX; CHEMICAL CONJUNCTIVITIS
36YOF PRESENTS WIT WORSENING HEADACHE AND LACERATION TO FOREHEAD AFTER A FEW DAYS AGO WHILE SHE WAS PUTTING WIPER FLUID IN HER CAR SHE BUMPED THE HOOD SUPPORT AND THE HOOD HIT HER IN THE HEAD DX: CONCUSSION, POST CONCUSSIVE SYNDROME
8YOM, AUTISTIC ON THE BUS TO SCHOOL REACHED FOR UNMARKED BOTTLE THAT CONTAINED A CLEANING SOLUTION VERSUS WASHER FLUID AND DRANK UNKNOWN AMOUNT AND GOT SPLASHED TO FACE, DX: INGESTION OF SUBSTANCE ACCIDENTAL
11YOM GRABBED AN OPEN BOTTLE OF WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID AND DRANK UNKNOWN AMOUNT. DX: ACCIDENTAL INGESTION OF SUBSTANCE.
2YOF DRANK UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF *** WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID FROM THE GARAGE. DX: ACCIDENTAL INGESTION OF SUBSTANCE.
3YOM WITH A POSSIBLE INGESTION. PATIENT POURED *** WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID (60% METHANOL) INTO A CUP AND WAS CARRYING IT INTO THE LIVING ROOM WHEN GRANDMA NOTICED AND STOPPED HIM FROM DRINKING IT. REPORTEDLY HAD NOT TAKEN ANY SIPS BUT POISON CONTROL RECOMMENDED THEY COME TO THE ED TO GET LABS TO EXCLUDE INGESTION.
82YOM ACCIDENTAL POSSIBLE INGESTION OF WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID WHEN SUCKING ON HOSE. + SPIT OUT LIQUID
39 YOM DRINKING WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID, NOW HAS CHEST PAIN. DX METHANOL INTOXICATION, SUBSTANCE ABUSE
30 YOF WAS PUTING WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID IN HER CAR WHEN THE HOOD CAME DOWN ON HER FOREARM ON SATURDAY. DX: ARM CONTUSION
55YOF TRANSFERRED WIPER FLUID TO EMPTY WATER BOTTLE AND PUT IT IN JUNK ROOM, DID THIS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, TODAY WENT IN ROOM, TOOK SMALL SIP, AND SPIT IT OUT, THOUGHT IT WAS WATER MIXED WITH FLAVOR PACKETS, DX ACCIDENTAL INGESTION OF SUBSTANCE
7YOM PRESENTS W POSSIBLE INGESTION OF WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID DX ENCOUNTER FOR OBSERVATION FOR SUPSECTED TOXIC EFFECT FROM INGESTED SUBSTANCE
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to windshield wiper fluids on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are windshield wiper fluids?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, windshield wiper fluids have a danger score of 31/100 (low risk). An estimated 212 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from windshield wiper fluids?
The most common injury is poisoning to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 3,131 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from windshield wiper fluids increasing or decreasing?
Down 29% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for windshield wiper fluids injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 1,268 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by windshield wiper fluids?
Of all ER visits involving windshield wiper fluids, approximately 12.6% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (87.4%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with windshield wiper fluids?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Home Workshop Tools & Equipment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 31/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 0-4 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
