The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the rule-making process is the best way to sort out issues with unconventional ways to open car doors. Electronic interior door releases have become an increasingly common design trend in the automotive industry, but federal regulators may soon alter the rules around them in an effort to boost occupant safety in the result of a crash.
After more than a dozen fatal incidents reportedly related to Tesla’s electronic door handles were highlighted by Bloomberg earlier this year, congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL) introduced the Securing Accessible Functional Emergency (SAFE) Exit Act in the House of Representatives, in an effort to push federal regulators to improve door safety regulations. But last Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it is developing new requirements to ensure drivers and passengers can safely exit their cars even under extreme or dangerous situations.
View Price on AmazonThe rules will “mandate a robust and obvious door egress system in all motor vehicles,” and apply to all new passenger cars and trucks in the U.S. if finalized. At least 15 people have been killed as a result of being trapped inside a Tesla following a crash, according to Bloomberg’s reporting. In some instances, occupants inside the Tesla survived the initial impact, but were allegedly unable to escape post-crash fires or be reached by rescuers due to the door design.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has opened two separate investigations into Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y units over claims that the emergency mechanical door release is not accessible and fails to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The impetus for this new rule-making plan was a petition filed by a Silicon Valley engineer, according to Reuters, who was requesting increased oversight to “address a critical, life-threatening safety gap” with electronic door latching and release systems.
Source: roadandtrack.com
