NHTSA Begins Work On New Car Door-Handle Rules After Bloomberg's Tesla Report

Auto-safety regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will begin considering new federal requirements for vehicle door handles and emergency-release systems following a series of deadly incidents in which occupants became trapped after electrically operated doors lost power.

NHTSA said an inaccessible or difficult-to-locate mechanical release could prevent occupants from escaping after a crash or fire, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. The agency granted a petition seeking "a robust and obvious door egress system in all motor vehicles" and will begin rulemaking proceedings.

The filing states in the "Action" section that NHTSA has denied a petition to open a defect investigation, offering a near-term reprieve for Tesla and other EV automakers that use similar flush-mounted electronic door handles. However, what comes next from the agency will be an industrywide rulemaking process covering emergency door-egress systems.

"A decision as to the issuance of a rule will be made on the basis of all available information developed in the course of the rulemaking proceeding, in accordance with statutory criteria," the filing said.

The action follows what Bloomberg says has been 15 deaths in a dozen or so accidents in which occupants or rescuers were reportedly unable to open the doors of crashed and burning Teslas. In several cases, occupants survived the initial impact but died or suffered serious injuries after becoming trapped.

Meanwhile on Reddit...

We reported as early as October 2019 on the "futuristic" door handle blamed for the death of a 48-year-old man driving a Tesla Model S in South Florida.

NHTSA declined to open a Tesla-specific defect investigation, citing only one complaint among 179,031 vehicles and concluding that the issue would be better addressed through industrywide regulation. The agency noted that the Model 3 has mechanical releases for its front doors but not its rear doors.

NHTSA noted, "The owner's manual for the 2022 MY Tesla Model 3 includes a section labeled "In Case of Emergency" that details how to open doors from the interior when the vehicle has no electrical power." 

The rulemaking process could take years and may face industry opposition over additional costs. The decision adds to mounting regulatory pressure, including a congressional proposal requiring manual releases and first-responder access, as well as a NHTSA investigation into complaints of children becoming trapped inside certain Tesla Model Y vehicles.

One has to wonder what Bloomberg hoped its reporting would trigger: a sweeping Tesla defect finding or recall.

That is not what NHTSA delivered. The agency denied the defect petition and shifted the broader issue into a lengthy, industrywide rulemaking process.

Perhaps the outcome would have looked different under a Kamala Harris administration.