U.S. regulators are initiating a new process to develop automotive safety rules, focusing on ensuring that occupants can safely exit vehicles in the event of power failure, collisions, or other emergencies. This move comes amid several incidents involving occupants trapped inside cars, including those involving Tesla's concealed electronic door handles.

NHTSA Startup Rules Establishment

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a regulatory filing that it will begin studying new vehicle exit safety requirements. Bloomberg first reported this development.

This process stemmed from a petition that requested the NHTSA to investigate safety defects in the emergency mechanical door opening mechanism of the 2022 Tesla Model 3, claiming that its design may not meet federal motor vehicle safety standards.

However, the NHTSA did not initiate a defect investigation as requested by the petitioners, but instead believed that such issues were better handled by establishing uniform rules.

The focus is on the door opening capability after a power outage.

If new regulations are subsequently formulated, their application will not be limited to Tesla, but will be required of all automakers. However, the NHTSA also emphasized that initiating the rule-making process does not guarantee that the new regulations will be implemented.

The core issue of concern to regulators is whether electronic door locks and handles will still function properly in the event of a failure in the vehicle's electrical system. An early review by the NHTSA found that if the vehicle's battery system provides insufficient voltage, the relevant door handles may fail to open.

Although Tesla vehicles are equipped with mechanical manual door opening mechanisms, these mechanisms are located inside the vehicle and are not always easily noticed at first glance.

Multiple complaints and investigations have already occurred.

This decision comes less than a year after the NHTSA launched its investigation into Tesla's door handles. Previously, the regulator received nine reports from owners stating they were unable to enter their vehicles, in some cases with children still inside.

The investigation also followed up on several other incidents where occupants were trapped inside vehicles after collisions. Reports indicate that in some accidents, drivers or passengers were unable to open the doors and exit the vehicle in time after the crash.

Besides Tesla, other electric vehicle manufacturers are also adjusting similar designs. Tesla's head of design, Franz von Holzhausen, stated last year that the company was redesigning its door handles. Rivian also stated that it has adjusted the interior door handle design of its R2 SUV, placing the manual release mechanism in a more prominent position, closer to the electronic door handle.