China has become the first nation to require a change to make it easier to rescue people from car crashes: Car doors must be able to open from either side mechanically, like by lifting a handle.

The rules, which go into effect in 2027, follow international scrutiny of a futuristic design first popularized by Tesla, but adopted by many other automakers, in which door handles are electrically powered and hidden. They lie flush with the vehicle’s exterior until they detect an approaching driver and pop out. They were embraced by automakers for both aerodynamic and aesthetic reasons, but introduced a new kind of vulnerability: They can malfunction after a crash or a battery failure.

As Bloomberg News detailed in an investigative report in September, Tesla’s electrically-powered doors could become impossible to open from the outside in an emergency, forcing responders to break windows to extract survivors.

  • NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
    3·
    16 hours ago

    This is one of those weird flashpoint issues.

    There are two layers to this. One that is a major problem, and one that… isn’t.

    The former is exactly what you identified. The door latches are all purely electric. This leads to the very regular occurrence where someone’s swasticar updates while they are inside of it on a hot day. And their only choice is to sit and roast or to rip open their trim to try to find the manual release. THIS should be 500% illegal but basically no countries actually care.

    The other is the flush door handles. Some fatalities have been attributed to them. But the reality is? A door that just got slammed into by a giant pick-up truck ain’t opening. And you gots to be a mother rescuing her baby to get a firm grip on most door handles when the car is on fire.

    Yes, flush door handles are a deeply stupid idea and always will be. But the reality is that people REALLY need to keep window smashers in their cars. Like, easily accessible by the front and back seat occupants.

    Because if that car is on fire? You ain’t getting a grip on that handle one way or the other. You MIGHT be able to smash a window and drag someone out. Same with a car that is rapidly submerging in water. Even with mechanical handles, NOBODY has the strength to open that door after a shockingly small amount of water. So you are either sitting there waiting for pressure to equalize or you are smashing that window and getting the hell out.

    At which point? Flush door handles are still idiotic design. And electric only door controls SHOULD be illegal. But if you actually care about emergencies? Get a god damned hammer for like 30 bucks. Or even just tape a spark plug to your keys.