Faulty Door Handles Are Keeping People Stuck in Vehicles. Authorities Are Finally Taking Action.

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      On Friday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rejected a petition to investigate the Tesla Model 3’s emergency door handles, which were deemed hard to find and potentially unsafe in a crash. However, they also committed to establishing new regulations that will require a clear and effective door exit system in all motor vehicles.

      These regulations will take time to formulate; an expert quoted by Bloomberg suggested they may not become part of a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard until at least 2030. Nonetheless, this is a positive step, and it is indeed overdue.

      In recent years, there have been instances where passengers were trapped in crashed or burning vehicles, unable to escape due to failures in electronic door handles and the difficulty of locating hidden mechanical backups. To complicate matters further, these backup handles are typically located inside the vehicles, making it more challenging for first responders.

      Consider Rivian as an example. For a backseat passenger to reach the emergency handles in the newer R1S or R1T models, they must first remove a plastic panel that conceals a pull cord. Rivian was reportedly aware of the potential problems this design could cause after its implementation, which is why it opted not to hide the secondary handles in the same way in the newer and smaller R2 models. However, the R1 series still has this design flaw, and there is currently no requirement compelling the company to alter it.

      Ideally, this situation will change following the rulemaking process. The NHTSA dismissed the petition to investigate Tesla specifically because, in their view, Tesla’s system was not defective; it functioned as intended, which unfortunately presents a significant risk in emergencies. Instead, the agency plans to create a standard for the future.

      “NHTSA does not believe that the issues raised by the petitioner indicate the existence of a safety-related defect that would justify a defect investigation, and the matter is better addressed through the rulemaking process,” according to the department's filing on Friday.

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