Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Windshield Wiper Fluids ranks #622 of 838 by danger score (31/100) at ER-volume #692 of 838 (212/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #622
- danger rank of 838
- #692
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 31/100
- danger score
- 212/yr
- estimated ER visits (avg)
Danger score combines injury volume, hospitalization, fatality, and five-year trend. ER volume is the average annual NEISS estimate alone. Rank 1 is highest on each list.
Where this category's danger score sits nationally
Danger score (31/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
31 Lower than most lower than 74% of 838 product categories
scored CPSC product categories, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more product categories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CPSC NEISS, PlainSafety danger-score model · 2024
Composite verdict
Composite Safety Score: 36/100
One verdict blending 4 independently-sourced dimensions from two separate CPSC systems, each benchmarked against all 838 scored product categories by percentile rather than raw value, so no single huge-volume category can dominate the scale.
| Dimension | Value | National percentile | Weight applied | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injury severity (hospitalization + fatality blend) | 13 | 83rd | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 212 | 14th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -29% | 22nd | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 0 | 0th | 20% | CPSC SaferProducts.gov public incident report count |
Methodology: each dimension is ranked against the full population's p10/p25/p50/p75/p90 breakpoints and interpolated to a 0-100 percentile; the composite is the weighted average of available percentiles. See methodology for the full benchmark table.
Where 4,244 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 967. Segments sum to 4,244 - a body-map mix, not a danger score or ER-volume rank.
Two danger lenses
Same-group peer scores and this product's dial
The bars compare PlainSafety danger scores inside the Home Workshop Tools & Equipment group (same CPSC NEISS extract). The dial is this product's score alone on the Low/Moderate/High bands. Do not read a peer bar as an ER-visit count.
Home Workshop Tools & Equipment danger scores
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 volume 212 ER visits/yr Low volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 12.6% High admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend-29%
Band labels compare this category against the corpus of 838 scored CPSC product categories, see the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Across the 20-year NEISS window from 2005 to 2024, injury counts for windshield wiper fluids 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 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 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.
Compare beyond Home Workshop Tools & Equipment
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Windshield Wiper Fluids: cross-group products nearest on danger score (31/100), estimated annual ER visits (212/yr), and hospitalization share (12.6%). Same-group neighbours stay in Related Products above.
Similar danger score
Nearest cross-group products by PlainSafety danger score (100-point scale).
Similar ER visit volume
Nearest cross-group products by NEISS estimated annual ER visits.
Similar hospitalization rate
Nearest cross-group products by % of NEISS ER visits resulting in hospital admission.
- Day Wear Personal Care & Safety Products 12.6%admitted
- Elevators Or Other Lifts (excl. Escalators, Hoists, Jacks, Building Materials & Home Structures 12.6%admitted
- Electric Holiday Decorations (excl. Christmas Tree Lights) Home Medical & Assistance Devices 12.5%admitted
- Skeet Shooting (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear 12.7%admitted
Related Products in Home Workshop Tools & Equipment
Read with this product
About this data
CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports form the basis of this page. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments.
According to PlainSafety's CPSC NEISS corpus ranking, Windshield Wiper Fluids ranks #622 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #692 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does windshield wiper fluids rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, windshield wiper fluids ranks #622 by PlainSafety danger score (31/100) and #692 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (212/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
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.
PlainSafety is rendered directly from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall and incident records, no number is typed in by an editor. Product recall timelines and hazard labels are drawn from CPSC recall records for this product. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.