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.
Even with slightly buckled frame, the handle is the first thing people grab to try to pull open your door. With visible handles crowd of 3-4 people can force a door open, emergency services can do it as well. With recessed handles even at the slightest buckle on the frame there is no point across the door to get a good grip on, so you can’t pull it open without something to hold against, you have to wait for special equipment.