NHTSA: US to Begin Work on New Car Door Safety Rules After Deaths in Teslas

[DuoRivians]

Scope of this likely covers the Gen 2 R1 doors and the R2:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...9.b_1VsFu7hgpV_d3Ws3oFOTrb3ZRLIoLbWDK0mRkNOVY

US auto safety regulators will start developing new requirements to ensure drivers and passengers can safely exit their vehicles, a significant move to address issues exposed by sometimes deadly incidents in which people have become trapped inside cars.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday that it would begin the process to impose a new federal rule, granting a petitioner’s request that the agency “mandate a robust and obvious door egress system in all motor vehicles,” according a regulatory filing. All new vehicles in the US would be subject to any new requirements, if finalized.

Vehicles designed with flush, electrically operated door handles made by Tesla Inc. and other carmakers have been involved in a series of incidents in which occupants have been trapped inside their cars after the vehicles lost power, including after a crash. In several instances, occupants of Tesla vehicles survived the initial impact of a high speed crash only to die or sustain serious injury from subsequent fires after being unable to exit.

Bloomberg News has reported extensively on the modern door systems, uncovering at least 15 deaths in a dozen incidents in which occupants or rescuers were unable to open the doors of a Tesla that had crashed and caught fire. Bloomberg also reported late last year that Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk insisted on electric doors even after potential safety concerns were raised internally.

Read More: Tesla Doors Can Trap People Desperate to Escape

A Silicon Valley engineer submitted a petition to NHTSA in November asking the agency to issue new federal safety standards to address the safety risks. The action is needed, the petitioner wrote, to “address a critical, life-threatening safety gap” stemming from electronic or “hidden” door latching and release systems, which are common on electric vehicles.

NHTSA on Thursday said in the filing that it has granted the petition and will begin the rulemaking process. The decision was revealed in a filing that also denied a separate petitioner’s request for a safety defect investigation. The agency didn’t immediately respond to a request for additional details. Tesla didn’t respond to a request for comment.

“It’s very significant that they are going to begin the rulemaking process, since this is the initial step that must be taken to create or modify Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to strengthen areas related to electric doors and egress,” said Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety. But given how long the process can take, “I wouldn’t expect to see a final compliance date for manufacturers before 2030 even if the rulemaking proceeds swiftly.”

The agency said it would decide whether to impose new requirements based on the information developed during the rulemaking process. It can take years to develop and finalize a new rule, and industry often pushes back against new safety mandates that impose additional costs.

Read More: The Electric Door Tesla Made Famous Is Now a Danger in Other Cars

Still, the decision adds to growing fallout over the incidents tied to electric door handles. US Representative Robin Kelly, an Illinois Democrat, introduced legislation earlier this year that would require manual door releases in new cars and means for first responders to gain access to vehicles when power is lost.

NHTSA in September opened a defect investigation into certain Tesla Model Y vehicles after receiving several complaints about children being trapped in vehicles.

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[tgrick]

I agree on this one. It's nice to have it look cool but not at the expense of life or limb...I have a family and keeping everyone safe is important.

 

[Dark-Fx]

IMO, this is an unsolvable problem. We live in a world where you need the rear doors to also not open on demand because of child locks. A car will not be able to detect every single incident where the rear passengers need to egress.

 

[SANZC02]

Scope of this likely covers the Gen 2 R1 doors and the R2:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...9.b_1VsFu7hgpV_d3Ws3oFOTrb3ZRLIoLbWDK0mRkNOVY

US auto safety regulators will start developing new requirements to ensure drivers and passengers can safely exit their vehicles, a significant move to address issues exposed by sometimes deadly incidents in which people have become trapped inside cars.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday that it would begin the process to impose a new federal rule, granting a petitioner’s request that the agency “mandate a robust and obvious door egress system in all motor vehicles,” according a regulatory filing. All new vehicles in the US would be subject to any new requirements, if finalized.

Vehicles designed with flush, electrically operated door handles made by Tesla Inc. and other carmakers have been involved in a series of incidents in which occupants have been trapped inside their cars after the vehicles lost power, including after a crash. In several instances, occupants of Tesla vehicles survived the initial impact of a high speed crash only to die or sustain serious injury from subsequent fires after being unable to exit.

Bloomberg News has reported extensively on the modern door systems, uncovering at least 15 deaths in a dozen incidents in which occupants or rescuers were unable to open the doors of a Tesla that had crashed and caught fire. Bloomberg also reported late last year that Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk insisted on electric doors even after potential safety concerns were raised internally.

Read More: Tesla Doors Can Trap People Desperate to Escape

A Silicon Valley engineer submitted a petition to NHTSA in November asking the agency to issue new federal safety standards to address the safety risks. The action is needed, the petitioner wrote, to “address a critical, life-threatening safety gap” stemming from electronic or “hidden” door latching and release systems, which are common on electric vehicles.

NHTSA on Thursday said in the filing that it has granted the petition and will begin the rulemaking process. The decision was revealed in a filing that also denied a separate petitioner’s request for a safety defect investigation. The agency didn’t immediately respond to a request for additional details. Tesla didn’t respond to a request for comment.

“It’s very significant that they are going to begin the rulemaking process, since this is the initial step that must be taken to create or modify Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to strengthen areas related to electric doors and egress,” said Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety. But given how long the process can take, “I wouldn’t expect to see a final compliance date for manufacturers before 2030 even if the rulemaking proceeds swiftly.”

The agency said it would decide whether to impose new requirements based on the information developed during the rulemaking process. It can take years to develop and finalize a new rule, and industry often pushes back against new safety mandates that impose additional costs.

Read More: The Electric Door Tesla Made Famous Is Now a Danger in Other Cars

Still, the decision adds to growing fallout over the incidents tied to electric door handles. US Representative Robin Kelly, an Illinois Democrat, introduced legislation earlier this year that would require manual door releases in new cars and means for first responders to gain access to vehicles when power is lost.

NHTSA in September opened a defect investigation into certain Tesla Model Y vehicles after receiving several complaints about children being trapped in vehicles.

It won’t impact the current R1 and R2 models. If there are any changes it will be on future models.

Just on a side note, I have had several vehicles (including my older Tesla Model S) with mechanical door handles where people under normal circumstance had to ask where the handle was. I imagine in a high stress situation they may be “trapped” as well.

 

[DuoRivians]

IMO, this is an unsolvable problem. We live in a world where you need the rear doors to also not open on demand because of child locks. A car will not be able to detect every single incident where the rear passengers need to egress.

Couldn’t one solution be that any door should be “openable” from the inside with a certain amount of tension force, which is greater than what a child under 5 can produce? Ie, if an adult wants to open a door from the inside, they’ll be able to with 90-95% probability

 

[CrazyOne]

IMO, this is an unsolvable problem. We live in a world where you need the rear doors to also not open on demand because of child locks. A car will not be able to detect every single incident where the rear passengers need to egress.

Not speaking for everyone, but my kid is getting old enough to barely reach the handle, while in a convertible car seat. But I have told him never to do that and I believe he understands the implications now. I don't see myself using child locks for him. We will see how the younger one turns out. I also don't think my extended family used child locks for their kids.

Anyway, children not being able to get out because they are too young is a slightly different, but related problem.

 

[lefkonj]

I have had both and don't see any issue but it isn't a show stopper for me either way. My a7 had weird electronic door mechanisms, didn't always work but was never trapped.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Not speaking for everyone, but my kid is getting old enough to barely reach the handle, while in a convertible car seat. But I have told him never to do that and I believe he understands the implications now. I don't see myself using child locks for him. We will see how the younger one turns out. I also don't think my extended family used child locks for their kids.

Anyway, children not being able to get out because they are too young is a slightly different, but related problem.

My children generally understand too, but intrusive thoughts are a thing, and sometimes kids are particularly bad about ignoring them.

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