Feds May Start on New Car Door Handle Safety Rulespicture alliance - Getty ImagesElectronic interior door releases have become an increasingly common design trend in the automotive industry, but federal regulators may soon alter the rules around them in an effort to boost occupant safety in the event of a crash.After more than a dozen fatal incidents reportedly related to Tesla's electronic door handles were highlighted by Bloomberg earlier this year, Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL) introduced the Securing Accessible Functional Emergency (SAFE) Exit Act in the House of Representatives, in an effort to push federal regulators to improve door safety regulations. But last Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it is gathering information about door safety to ensure drivers and passengers can safely exit their cars even under extreme or dangerous situations. The rules will "mandate a robust and obvious door egress system in all motor vehicles," and apply to all new passenger cars and trucks in the U.S. if finalized.DW Burnett"NHTSA received a petition for rulemaking to require an emergency door egress system to address the risk of occupant entrapment in vehicles during electrical power failures, and the agency granted that petition," NHTSA officials said to Road & Track. "Granting a rulemaking petition is not a decision by NHTSA to issue a new safety standard, but commences the process of gathering input to make an informed decision. NHTSA will gather additional information and data, and solicit public comments, to determine if a rulemaking for a new safety standard is appropriate under the requirements of the Vehicle Safety Act."AdvertisementAdvertisementAt least 15 people have been killed as a result of being trapped inside a Tesla following a crash, according to Bloomberg's reporting. In some instances, occupants inside the Tesla survived the initial impact, but were allegedly unable to escape post-crash fires or be reached by rescuers due to the door design. NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has opened two separate investigations into Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y units over claims that the emergency mechanical door release is not accessible and fails to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.picture alliance - Getty ImagesThe impetus for this new rule-making plan was a petition filed by a Silicon Valley engineer, according to Reuters, who was requesting increased oversight to "address a critical, life-threatening safety gap" with electronic door latching and release systems. A separate petition aimed at launching a defect investigation over a similar issue was denied on Friday, July 24, after it failed to present evidence of a likely safety-related defect warranting an investigation. Instead, federal safety regulators will focus on reviewing new standards for the industry at large.Just because the safety agency is looking into new rules doesn't guarantee that additional regulations will be adopted, however; it's merely the first step in a lengthy process of creating new regulations. Developing and finalizing new automotive safety regulations takes years and can be stymied by industry pushback. Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, told Bloomberg that he doesn't expect any potential rules to go into effect before 2030.You Might Also LikeIf You Can Only Own One Car, Make It One of TheseThese Are the Most Popular Cars by State