U.S. regulators are set to draft new safety standards after a spate of incidents where people were trapped in their cars due to flush, electronic door handles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced it will begin the rule-making process following a petition from concerned parties who argue that Tesla’s emergency release design doesn’t meet federal motor vehicle standards. While NHTSA denied investigating as requested, they are now paving the way for potentially universal changes to door handle designs.
The issue stems from situations where drivers and passengers became stuck inside their vehicles, particularly after crashes. Tesla’s Model 3, notorious for its hidden interior door release, was highlighted in a probe that followed nine reports of owners unable to exit their cars with children onboard. NHTSA noted that the electronic door locks might not provide enough voltage to operate the handles.
The decision by NHTSA comes just under a year after they opened an investigation into Tesla’s design due to safety concerns, prompted by nine incidents from car owners. Other manufacturers, such as Rivian, have already started rethinking their designs in light of these issues, moving manual release levers closer to the door handles for better visibility.







