Fiery Tesla Crash Highlights Need for Mechanical Door Handles

The shift to electronic controls can have deadly consequences for drivers and passengers.

1 minute read

November 20, 2024, 11:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Close-up of door handle on outside of grey Tesla electric car.

pict-japan / Adobe Stock

A recent crash that killed four people in a Tesla illustrates the importance of keeping mechanical handles on vehicles, writes Jesus Diaz in Fast Company.

“As Tesla details on its website, the Model Y features electronic door latches that require pressing a button to open via an electric mechanism. The car also has a mechanical emergency open system that many say would be nearly impossible to operate in an actual emergency.” The people involved in the latest crash were trapped inside the car, unable to open the doors — and neither were passersby who tried to help.

I get it, opening a door by clicking a button may seem cool—until it kills you. But the fact is that these buttons, just like the touch interfaces that control many car functions nowadays, are dangerous.

According to Diaz, all Tesla models have complicated emergency release mechanisms that require removing a panel or reaching under a seat. “Most people traveling in these cars are clueless about these mechanisms,” Diaz adds. 

To address the issue, the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) has announced that “starting in 2026, vehicles that delegate essential functions to touchscreens and fail to meet minimum physical control requirements will not qualify for the highest safety certifications.”

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 in Fast Company

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

View of downtown Seattle with Space Needle and mountains in background

Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum

Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.

7 seconds ago - Next City

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

28 minutes ago - GoodMigrations

View of cars in traffic from behind with visible tailpipe emissions

USDOT Repeals Emissions Monitoring Rule

A Biden-era regulation required states to report and plan to reduce transportation-related emissions.

3 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive