Electronics rule the world. But in some cases, it can be dangerous. You’ve surely heard about the series of accidents where sleek, electrically powered vehicle door handles made it impossible for emergency responders to help those inside the car.

China has run out of patience

It sounds paradoxical. China, after all, is full of all kinds of modern technology. Almost everyone and everything is under CCTV. People are not far from having chips embedded in their bodies. With a bit of exaggeration, of course. Yet China is the very country that will ban electronic pull handles on car doors from 2027. Under the new rules, all cars will have to have external and internal handles with mechanical release.

Too many people have died

On the one hand, there is no wonder. China is simply worried about its passengers and wants to make it safer for them to travel in modern cars. In fact, Tesla has been the target of controversy in America. According to the Road Safety Authority, at least 15 people have died in Tesla vehicles. The reason was that the doors did not open. But it’s not just Tesla that’s being dealt with in China, scrutiny has come to Xiaomi. In fact, there was a death of a driver who could not get out of the SU7.

━━ ( Source: dominickvietor /  Unsplash+ )

Security research

Of course, the Chinese didn’t just issue the ban based on a few fatalities. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced last September that it had conducted safety research on more than 230 models. Only after public consultation did the government then resort to a ban.

So the ministry issued technical requirements for door handles. So cars must have at least one mechanically unlocked interior door handle from next year. In addition, it must be easily identifiable. The outer door handle should then allow the door to be mechanically unlocked, whatever position it is in. The handle should be mounted no more than 300 mm from the edge of the door.

Why pull handles were developed

In the past, electric pull handles were promoted, mainly because of the reduction in air resistance. However, it was also about aesthetics. But nobody thought about safety anymore. There’s a button inside the car that can be used to open the car. But it may not be visible to the people inside, and rescuers may not be able to get to it even if the window is broken. Or it could take them a long time. And in a serious accident, every second is needed to save people. There’s no time to waste.

What about old cars?

The ban, or rather the new rules for door handles on all vehicles, will apply from 2027. However, this date, which is fast approaching, only applies to newly manufactured cars. However, cars already in production will still have another 25 months to comply with the new regulations. That is more than another two years. However, the sooner this happens, the better. It will be a relief, especially for rescue workers, who will be able to get people out of the vehicle much more quickly if necessary.