U.S. Launches Rulemaking for Car Door Safety, Targeting EV Escape After Power Loss

On July 23, 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the initiation of a new rulemaking process to study potential requirements aimed at improving vehicle occupants’ ability to escape through doors after a crash. This action stems from a petition filed on November 4, 2025, calling for a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard that would mandate all motor vehicles to be equipped with reliable and clearly visible interior door-release mechanisms for emergency egress. The regulatory focus centers on vehicles featuring concealed, electronically controlled door handles. While these designs allow doors to be opened via electronic systems under normal power conditions, they may fail in the event of a collision-induced power loss, potentially hindering occupant escape. Public reports indicate that in at least 12 crashes involving Tesla vehicles, 15 fatalities occurred due to doors becoming inoperable; some survivors suffered additional injuries from post-crash fires because they could not exit the vehicle promptly. The petitioner, a Silicon Valley engineer, argued that electronic door locks combined with hidden release systems have created a “critical and life-threatening safety gap.” NHTSA has granted the petition and launched the rulemaking process, though whether mandatory new requirements will ultimately be implemented depends on information gathered and subsequent evaluations. Michael Brooks, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety, stated that this move represents an important first step toward enhancing electric vehicle door egress capabilities. However, he noted that, by convention, it could take until around 2030 for such regulations—once finalized—to be fully implemented across the automotive industry. Meanwhile, Congress is also addressing the issue: Representative Robin Kelly of Illinois has introduced legislation requiring all new vehicles to include manual door-opening mechanisms and ensuring that first responders can access the cabin even when power is lost. Additionally, records show that in September 2026, NHTSA opened a defect investigation into certain Tesla Model Y vehicles following complaints about children becoming trapped inside.