U.S. auto safety regulators will begin developing new standards for car door opening and passenger evacuation mechanisms to ensure that drivers and passengers can safely exit the vehicle in an emergency.
According to relevant regulatory documents, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated this new rule-making work due to a series of previous safety accidents in which people were trapped in vehicles, including even fatal tragedies. The incident focused on the hidden, electronically controlled door handles widely used by brands such as Tesla. If the vehicle's electronic door lock system loses power due to battery failure or insufficient power supply, such door handles may be at risk of not functioning properly.
The new regulations were brewing after a previous request for NHTSA to launch a safety defect investigation into the emergency mechanical door release design of the 2022 Tesla Model 3. The applicant believed that the design failed to meet current federal motor vehicle safety standards. While NHTSA declined the request to conduct a direct investigation of specific defects, the agency made clear that addressing this potential risk through comprehensive industry rules would be a better option than through individual investigations.
It should be noted that initiating the rulemaking process does not mean that new standards will eventually be promulgated. But if this new regulation is finally approved, all automakers will be required to strictly abide by the safety regulations.
This isn't the first time electronic door handles have faced regulatory scrutiny. Less than a year ago, NHTSA launched an investigation into Tesla door handles after receiving numerous reports of owners being locked out of their vehicles, in some cases with children inside. In addition, there are frequent reports of passengers being trapped in cars after car accidents because the doors cannot be opened.
Faced with safety doubts, car companies have also begun to seek solutions. Tesla's head of design has previously revealed that the company is working on redesigning door handles; and car companies such as Rivian have also stated that they are adjusting the design of their inner door handles and plan to move the manual mechanical release device closer to the electric handle and in a more eye-catching position to ensure quick escape in emergency situations.