ABSTRACT
Products that could pose a safety risk if left running or unattended should automatically shut off after an appropriate duration. Most would agree that one cannot rely on people to exercise precautions or remember to take proper actions. Some automatic shutoffs are under software control wherein the software intervenes and shuts off the product after a period of inactivity. Some detect motion, such as an item entering an unsafe zone. So-called electric eyes disable equipment when something is detected in a scanned field or interrupts an energy beam. An automatic shutoff feature might not be suitable for certain products. For example, product developers likely would not want a ventilator providing a patient with oxygen to automatically shut off for any reason. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, vehicles with automatic braking systems have lower rates of rear-end crashes than those without such automatic systems.
